


Of Kindness and Madness

by Descended_from_Hufflepuffs



Series: Switched at Birth [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, F/F, F/M, here you go, i got an idea, maleficent is a bitch, no one asked for this but, so is leah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2020-09-29 17:33:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20439836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Descended_from_Hufflepuffs/pseuds/Descended_from_Hufflepuffs
Summary: Once upon a time, a princess was born.Once upon a time, a magical hybrid was born.Once upon a time, their lives were changed forever.





	1. Once Upon a Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! No one asked for this but I got the idea a while ago and now I'm living for it! Loving the energy from this fandom right now and I really hope it keeps going.

Once upon a time, a princess was born to a loving King and Queen. Aurora and Phillip had taken care of Auroria for years and were so very happy that they would be able to pass that legacy on. They had a castle-birth and the three fairy godmothers watched over them as their darling Audrey came into the world. Just a few hours after her birth, she was blessed by them. Flora blessed her with a kind heart. Fauna blessed her with wisdom. And Merryweather blessed her with beauty.

Once upon a time, a magical hybrid was born. The daughter of a powerful fae and an even more powerful god came into the world screaming and dirty, as most births happened on the Isle. Maleficent sneered at the tiny thing, wondering why the hell she didn’t come out a bit more grown. Hades didn’t handle the screams much better but at least he was there to wrap her up in a worn blanket and try to soothe her a bit. 

Once upon a time, a powerful fairy got very sick and her creations suffered. The barrier that kept Auradon safe remined up physically but magic entered that world for the first time in years. Maleficent felt in and in her rage, cursed the screaming child with madness. She wasn’t at her full power so the child wouldn’t be like that dratted Hook, but she’d never be sane. 

With magic coursing through her veins, a thought occurred to the evil fairy. Wasn’t that dratted girl who got away from her curse having a child today? Oh, the things she could do now…. What better way to hurt her than to take the child and harm it? Hades had left, tired of the screams and done with the fae who would curse a  _ child _ . There was no one to stop her from a simple switch. A small spell later and Princess Audrey was taken from her cozy bassinet and stuck in a wooden crate with only a blanket to comfort her while the small Mal took her place. Aurora never could explain what made her name the baby Mallory instead of Audrey like they’d talked about. But it fit her so well, no one would argue.

And so, Audrey was raised by Maleficent and Mal was raised by Aurora. Audrey suffered under the cruel hands of a mother that wanted only to hurt her, who used her princess blessings as reasons for punishment and pain. Mallory struggled to control magic that no one could explain and ignore voices no one could hear. 

Somehow, they survived. Even if her parents didn’t fully understand her and her purple hair, they loved Mal and she wanted for nothing. She had a lovely boyfriend who took all of her flaws and loved her for them, even if her darling Grammy despised them. The idea that anything less than a perfect princess (which Mal was far from despite her best efforts) made her blood boil. She spent more time ranting about it in her mother-in-law wing than with her granddaughter. As much as she wished her Grammy would give her a chance, she was willing to cut her losses and take the family she had. If only she would stop ranting to the press….

But after a while, Grammy came around. Or at least she seemed to. She suspected Mal’s fae heritage after she had a bad reaction to the magical suppressants Fairy Godmother had recommended. She snuck bits of iron into her food and tea just before Mal was meant to visit Ben and as expected, the girl got horribly sick for a few days. It only took a few instances for Mal to suspect and she brought it up with Aurora one day during recovery. After a very loud screaming match on the other side of the castle, Leah was forbidden from seeing her granddaughter ever again.

Audrey had a much harder time finding her family. Her kind heart made her seem weak and more than a few people were willing to take advantage of it. She caught a lucky break when Jay decided to team up with her. Her beauty and charm made her an excellent flirt and she was a great distraction for his thieving activities. Even if she felt a little bad about it, getting more than scraps at meal time and new things to wear made her feel good. Jay had a reputation as a rough fighter as well so people mostly left her alone after she ganged up with him. Evie came along a little before him, another kind soul stuck in a place that wanted to destroy it. Her mother raised her to be a princess and she was just glad she found someone who could relate. Even if Audrey didn’t know where her traits came from, it was nice to know she wasn’t the only one. The Evil Queen’s daughter even taught her a few tips for getting out of trouble, like crying on command. It wouldn’t work on everyone but no one really wanted to see a pretty girl cry. Carlos came along as a surprise, but a welcome one.

See, when Audrey was 14, Grimhilde became quite upset that she was more beautiful and princess-like than her own daughter. So, she hired someone to do some damage. Damage that resulted in a large scar across the right side of her face. It would’ve been much worse had Carlos not been out at the time, doing his mother’s shopping. She was bleeding and crying and he couldn’t help but at least clean up the wound. He made a makeshift bandage out of some of the less valuable cloth he’d picked up for Cruella and went on his way. Jay helped her bandage it properly after but the damage had already been done. Evie insisted that it suited her but it was hard to look in the mirror for a while. The next day Audrey pushed Carlos into the seat between her and Jay during Weird Science. He was one of theirs now.

And so their lives went on. Two very different girls growing up in the wrong worlds, wanting answers to questions they couldn’t ask.

No one ever imagined that the daughter of Aurora and the daughter of Maleficent would ever meet. Not until Ben made his first proclamation with Mal smiling proudly beside him. He was determined to make progress for the people of Auradon and she couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Was she nervous about meeting Audrey? A bit. But she could only hope this would lead to more change, change for magic users like her and other sidekicks. A better, more whole Auradon.


	2. First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audrey and Mallory meet for the first time. Audrey doubts herself. Evie is a cinnamon roll. Jay silently facepalms every time Audrey speaks. Carlos just wants to eat chocolate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked, and I delivered! So this AU is going to eventually expand into a series covering all three movies. Many changes will be made along the way and I hope you enjoy them. Comments and Constructive Criticism always welcome!

Audrey could hardly believe her ears. The future king was going to let the VKs into Auradon. And she was one of the first to be going. It was a lucky coincidence that all the members of their little gang had been chosen; who knows what would’ve happened if any of them had been left behind?

But of course, it wasn’t just about them. Mother dearest had a task for them, for  _ her _ and Maleficent would be the only beneficiary in the end, that was clear. Steal the wand, let down the barrier, revenge galore. It wasn’t very appealing to her. First of all, even if she could steal the wand, there’s no guarantee that she would be able to wield it. Plus, Auradon had larger numbers on its side and there was almost no way it would go according to plan. Still, agreeing couldn’t hurt. It’s not like Maleficent could harm her if she failed. And Auradon seemed really nice. It would be wiser to play along with them and enjoy the comforts of Auradon while leaving their parents to rot. Again, not like they could do anything about it with the barrier….

“Yo, dragon breath. Car’s here.” 

Audrey snapped out of her thoughts and rolled her eyes at Jay’s nickname for her. She didn’t hate it but it could’ve been a bit more creative. “I know, jackass. I was just plotting.”

“Yeah, looked more like you were spacing out,” he shot back with a smirk.

“Oh, like you did when Anthony Tremaine tripped you in the hall right in front of Evie on the first day of school?” Audrey winked and grabbed their bags, chuckling at his obvious blush. “Yes, I was plotting and I think you’ll like this one. It’s actually selfish!” She was way more proud of that than she should be.

“Oh really? That’s a new one. What is it?” Jay really didn’t believe Audrey was capable of that. The most selfish thing she ever did was take candy from Dizzy Tremaine and she ended up giving half of that back. 

Audrey straightened her shoulders rather proudly. “I’ll tell you in the car, where no one can hear us.”

“Oh, that good is it? Like the time you talked us into raiding the Chip Shop for leftovers and gave your portion to Gil because you felt bad for running into him that morning?” Carlos chimed in with a smirk, grabbing Jay’s bag from her.

Audrey scrunched her nose and readjusted her own bag. “Hey, it was a good idea, right?”

“A very good idea, Auds. But raiding for food goes better when you don’t give it away after….” Evie loved Audrey, she really did, but the girl was a bit too good for her own good. “But I’m sure this one is really good, you always have great ideas.”

"Thank you, E. At least  _ someone _ here believes in me." 

Carlos shrugged and ducked into the limo before Cruella could remind him about dogs again. Jay took his time inspecting the vehicle and managed to get the hood ornament before he was pushed in with the rest of them. All four VKs were immediately drawn in by the array of sweets in front of them, the boys jumping right in and making a mess.

Audrey frowned as a few broken candies landed in her lap in the scuffle. “Anyway, guys, I was thinking…. About my mom’s plan.”

“Yeah? What about it? You already know how to get the wand?” Jay asked through a mouthful of candy. “Impressive. Lay it on us.”

Audrey shook her head. “No, not about how to get the wand. I was just thinking…. What if we didn’t?”

“You mean…turn our backs on our parents and keep Auradon for ourselves?” Yep, definitely the most selfish thing she ever came up with. “Not bad Auds, not bad. You’re right, I do like it.”

“Can we really do that though?” Carlos bit his lip and looked at the back window to where his mother was still waving. “I mean, you know they’ll probably kill us if we do, right?”

“Uh, C? Remember the barrier? They can’t get to us through that.” She looked around at her gang and munched on a granola bar. “Come on, guys, why should we go through with it? What are the chances we can even get to the wand anyhow? Besides that, Auradon clearly has us outnumbered and probably overpowered magic-wise. I mean, that wand trapped HADES. HADES! There’s no way we could beat that. Meanwhile,” she looked pointedly at all of them, “ _ we _ have the chance to eat decent food and a safe place to sleep at night. Sound good.”

Evie silently licked her rock candy. She had to admit, it was a good idea. Still, something seemed wrong about it. “But what if they send us back? What if we’re not... _ good  _ enough? Then we’re screwed.”

“I’m with Evie. We should go along with it so they don’t kill us later.”

Audrey huffed and rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying, they’re dumb enough to invite us, we may as well play along.”

“I dunno Auds. Maybe they have a point.” It was rare that Jay really listened to them in terms of plotting but he had his moments. “Besides, we could get even more of the goods like that. Just think about it. Imagine the power of Maleficent AND Hades behind that wand!”

The purple-clad girl sighed and played with the wrists of her gloves. “Yeah…. That could probably do a lot of damage.”

While she mulled over that, Evie turned to look out the front and saw them approaching the bridge…. Except instead of bridge there was an ocean and they were going to crash into it. “GUYS! The bridge!” 

All four looked out the window in terror; none of them knew how to swim and trapped as they were in the limo, all they could do was hold onto each other. At least they’d all die together.

Yet death never came. A small bump and they were still driving smoothly. Confused, Audrey looked out as saw a golden bridge leading to Auradon. Of course there was. Auradon wouldn’t risk killing one of their own just to get rid of a few VKs. That wasn’t very heroic. She squeezed Evie’s hand and ruffled Carlos’ hair. “Guys, it’s okay. We’re safe.”

Once they were all calmed down, Audrey turned back towards the driver. “Hey, how does that work? There wasn’t a bridge and then there just...was. It’s magic, right?”

“Yeah,” the driver huffed. “We have a remote made to open the barrier when needed. Just a push of a button and we can cross easily. Doesn’t last forever and it only works one way. Now, if you don’t mind…” He closed the window between him and his passengers.

“Uh, guys….” Jay held up his hands, both glowing a bright gold. “What’s this?”

“Magic,” Audrey blurted. “It must be. Now that we’re outside the barrier, we can use magic. I guess you inherited some genie powers from Jafar.” She frowned a bit as her own body lacked any cool glowy magic. She should have powers right? Of course, with her luck, she would be the kid born to a faerie and a god and have no powers.

Evie gasped as her own hands lit up a deep blue. “Wow! I guess mom really was a sorceress…. Too bad she didn’t give me a spellbook….” She didn’t say anything about Audrey’s lack of glow and fixed Carlos with a glare when it looked like he was about to. She didn’t need anybody to rub it in.

Meanwhile, in front of Auradon Prep, Mallory fidgeted nervously next to Ben. “She’s probably going to hate me. I mean, why wouldn’t she? Our parents-”

“Are not here and therefore there’s no need for drama.” Ben smiled and squeezed her hand. “I know you’re nervous but I’m sure it’ll be fine. Besides, my parents insisted on increasing the security at school. You’ll be fine.”

Mal smiled and nodded. “Yeah…. Yeah, you’re right. I’m just being paranoid….” Which was not an entirely uncommon phenomenon for someone who regularly heard threats of death in her head. 

He pulled her closer to his side and kissed the top of her head. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I can lead the tour by myself and Doug will handle everything after that.”

“No, I want to be here. I’m just a little off today, no worries.”

In the distance, they heard the low rumble of the limousine. Fairy Godmother started the band and stood next to them as the car pulled up, all with bright smiles. Smiles that slightly faded when the first ones out were two rowdy boys arguing over a blanket. Two girls followed them, one clothed in blue, the other in purple with a large scar down the right side of her face. Both smiled politely, though the purple one did slap one of the boys on the arm to calm them.

“Welcome to Auradon Prep,” Fairy Godmother managed in her singsong voice. “I am Fairy Godmother, but I’m sure you already knew that. I am currently the headmistress of the school so if you have any problems or concerns, come talk to me.” 

“Fairy Godmother. As in, bippity boppity boo?” That certainly got their attention.

“Yes, but that was a long time ago. We’ve put magic behind us for now; after all we’ve no need for it.”

Ah. Well, that might put a damper on things.

“Anyway, I’ve got a meeting to get to. I’ll just let you get on with the tour then.” With a small bow to Ben, she went on her merry way.

“Greetings. My name is Ben and this is my girlfriend, Mallory.”

“Hello. I’m Audrey, this is Evie, Jay, and Carlos.” Audrey flashed them a friendly smile, pausing when her eyes met Mal’s. There was just…something there in her eyes. Mal seemed to feel it too, as they had an almost stare-off for half a minute before Ben got their attention by clearing his throat.

“This is a momentous occasion….” Mallory was more than happy to let Ben’s speech drone on while she considered the daughter of Maleficent. She seemed nice, oddly enough. The voices told her not to trust the other girl but they were always suspicious. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Audrey just seemed so...out of place with the other VKs. Like she didn’t belong.

She was pulled out of her thoughts once more as the one named Jay stepped closer. “Hello,  _ princess _ . Name’s Jay.” She chuckled nervously and grabbed Ben’s arm. 

“Um, how about we start that tour? I’m sure Doug’s almost ready with the schedules and dorms….”

“Of course. This is Auradon Prep, a castle that my father converted into a school twenty years ago to….” For once, Mal was grateful for Ben’s pre-prepared speeches. It gave her a little time to think and calm the storm in her head.

Audrey went on autopilot as well, keeping her hand on Evie’s arm to ground herself while they walked. She knew she should probably be paying more attention but something about Mallory seemed off. There was just something about her, something almost distinctly Maleficent-like. Her eyes, her cheekbones, her laugh, even her purple hair! But that didn’t make any sense. How could she be the daughter of Maleficent when she was born in Auradon? Hell, that made about as much sense as Audrey being the daughter of Aurora!

She snapped back to reality when Jay nudged her arm as they entered the school. “You okay?” he mumbled. He didn’t like it when she spaced out like that, too dangerous for him to keep track of.

“Tell you later,” she replied before turning her attention back to Ben. “So, anyway, what exactly is the policy on magic here? Like, is it allowed, not allowed…?”

Ben smiled politely and shook his head. “It’s mostly retired right now, not really matter of allowed or not. Like Fairy Godmother said, we no longer have a need for it.”

“But if you’re interested,” Mal chimed in, “there is a class for magic users on campus. Some students have magical abilities and that gives them a chance to learn how to channel it properly.” It was mostly for her benefit but given that the children of Maleficent and Jafar were here, it was only fair that they be included. “It should already be on your schedules, given how often magic passes through genetically.”

“That’s nice,” Audrey replied with a small smile.

Ben’s attention was drawn to the stairs and he waved his hand in greeting. “Doug, down here! Our new students have arrived.”

A short bespectacled boy in a band uniform made his way down the stairs with clipboard in hand. “Hello, I’m Doug. Son of Dopey the dwarf and I’ll be showing you your dorms.” He handed out schedules for each of them. “We couldn’t get a hold of your transcripts from Dragon Hall so we just put you in the basics for now. Math, English, History, Chemistry, Ballroom dancing and…. Remedial Goodness 101.”

Jay quirked his eyebrow at the last timeslot on their schedules. “New class, huh?”

The three Auradonians became very interested in literally anything else in the room. Ben cleared his throat and managed to make eye contact. “Well, I think that’s about everything for now. Doug will show you to your rooms and your class will start tomorrow, 7 AM sharp. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask one of us, alright?”

“Alright, we will. Let’s go check out our dorms guys.” Jay lead the way up the stairs, followed by Mal and Carlos with Evie bringing up the rear. Doug lagged behind, a bit too transfixed with Evie’s beauty to notice they were headed the wrong way until she passed him.

“Oh, uh, guys? Your dorms are that way.”

And so began the first chapter of change in Auradon.


	3. They'll be so proud....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The VKs are somewhat disappointed by Auradon and attempt to get the wand on their first night. With the power of the Evil Queen, Jafar, Hades, and Maleficent behind them, it should be easy, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live. And I'm sorry for what you're about to read. It may be upsetting but I assure you, in the end the angst will be worth it. Thank you all so much for inspiring me to keep this going!

Mal didn’t let go of Ben’s arm until they were safely in his office and away from prying ears. “Okay, call me crazy, but there’s something off about Audrey.”

“I would never call you crazy but I’m not sure what you mean. She seemed perfectly nice.”

“Exactly!” As much as she loved Ben, he could be very oblivious sometimes. “I mean, we are talking about the girl who was raised on the Isle. By Maleficent. I’m not saying she couldn’t have been a good parent but it’s MALEFICENT! I mean, come on! She was practically a princess out there!” Which didn’t make any sense at all. Actually, a lot of things about Audrey didn’t make sense. Her scar, her plain hair, her lack of magical aura, her manners…. It was all rather Auradon-like, almost like she was a blessed daughter of a princess. But that didn’t make any sense, she was born on the Isle, how could that even happen?!

Ben gently took her flailing hands in his and kissed her cheek. “Easy there, take a breath, nice and slow….”

Mal huffed and dramatically fell against his chest. “I know I’m overreacting but she freaked me out a little. There’s just…something about her. I can’t put my finger on it but I don’t think it’s the paranoia this time. You believe me, right?” Green eyes searched the kind face in front of her, hoping she hadn’t crossed a line this time. They’d been together for years now so it was unlikely she could ever scare him away but that was one voice she could never manage to silence.

Ben smiled and cupped her cheek. “Of course I believe you. I get that you’re nervous and I’d probably feel the same if Gaston’s son was out there. But remember, this is about giving people a chance. You’ve met her once and all you really said to her was ‘Hi’. Let’s give it a few days before we freak out too much, okay?”

Mal giggled and stood on her toes to kiss him. “Alright, alright. I think I can do that. As long as you’re there to back me up.”

“Always.”

Meanwhile, across campus, Audrey, Evie, Jay, and Carlos were getting settled into their dorms. “Alright,” Doug started as they approached the dorm wings. “First things first, dorms are not co-ed. Boys on the left, girls on the right. Also, two curfews to know. No passing between dorms after 9 o’clock and all students must be in their beds by midnight. The dorm doors do lock but the Senior RAs do have access to the master keys if they think it’s necessary to check on you.”

“Wait, seriously? If they think we’re up to something they can just waltz in?” Jay eyed the dwarf incredulously. That privilege was definitely going to be used on them, he could tell.

“Well, they do have to provide proof that you might be up to something. Like photos or conversations, witnesses, and so on. It won’t just be their word against yours. They have access to the key but they need permission from Fairy Godmother first. And if it’s nothing big, they usually won’t waste their time on it because they have enough to do as it is with getting ready for graduation and all. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

Audrey cleared her throat and smiled politely. “So, can we see our rooms?” Her nerves weren’t soothed by Doug’s explanation and she could tell it was a feeling shared with the others. But for right now they needed to get to their rooms and start planning.

“Of course, right this way.”

They were taken to Jay and Carlos’ room first. It was nicely done, two whole beds, video game setup, and personal laptop for both of them, plus a notice about a 3D printer coming soon. She briefly wondered if her and Evie’s dorm would be the same but she was shaken off of that track by Doug going over the basic dorm rules. All basic stuff, likely to make things easier for the cleaning staff.

She was sorely disappointed when they were brought to the girl’s dorm. Pink and frills all over the place, a sewing machine in the corner, tv guide that prioritized talk shows…. “Well, this is a bit of a letdown. How come the boys got all the cool stuff?”

Evie shrugged and inspected the sewing machine. “It’s Auradon, who says they have to make sense? Besides, once we take over you can have all the cool stuff you want in your room.”

“I guess.” Audrey plopped down on the bed and started looking through the school handbook. “Wow, they give out food here. Like for free! You just show up and they give you food! How wild is that?”

Evie smiled and sat on the bed next to her to read with her. “Yeah, so wild….” She wasn’t paying nearly as much attention as she should be. Her mind was still turning cartwheels over the fact that she actually could do magic, that the hours her mother spent teaching her potion ingredients and recipes weren’t a total waste. She let Audrey ramble on about whatever weird rules or traditions they had at the school until the clock chimed and a small speaker announced that it was lunchtime. “Come on, let’s get the boys and see if we can get any of that free food….”

They ran into Mal and Ben outside the cafeteria. “Ah, hello. I hope you’ve settled in alright.” Ben smiled warmly at them though Mal seemed a bit warier. “Would you like to join us for lunch? We could introduce you to our friends.”

Jay spoke up before Audrey could accept. “Nah, we’re good. We’ll just get our food and sit on our own.”

Ben’s smile dimmed a bit and Mal decided to speak up. “Are you sure? Settling in here would go a bit smoother if you had friends from the start.”

Again, Jay spoke before Audrey could. “Yeah, we’re sure.”

“Well, let us know if you change your mind….” Ben looked a little put out as they entered the cafeteria and Mal put a comforting hand on his back.

Audrey slapped Jay on the arm. “What the evil, Jay?! Do you want us to look suspicious?!”

Jay rubbed his arm and rolled his eyes. “Suspicious would be if we got buddy-buddy too quickly. Besides, C found out some stuff about the wand; we’ll need the privacy.”

Audrey grumbled as he led the way into the cafeteria. Once they got their food, they found a table on the edge of the courtyard where they would mostly be left alone. 

“Okay,” Carlos started, pulling out his worn invention notebook. “I figured out the computer and did a little research on the wand. It’s mostly kept in the museum a couple miles off-campus and they only take it out for special events, like the coronation that’s coming up at the end of the week. Apparently, only Fairy Godmother can get through the protections put around it, magical force field of some kind plus the regular museum protections like alarms.” 

The gears were grinding in Audrey’s mind as she ate. “Well, we have two options then. We can try to get the wand tonight after the museum closes or we can wait until it’s out in the open at the coronation.”

“Tonight,” Jay confirmed. “The sooner we’re done, the better.”

“But what about the protections on it?” Evie protested. “It would be much easier to wait until it’s already out. Plus, everyone will be in one place and our parents can storm the building.”

“But if we do it at night, everyone will be asleep and unprepared,” Jay countered. “Besides, we got the power of the Evil Queen, Jafar, Maleficent, and Hades behind us, plus Carlos’ smarts. That wand doesn’t have a chance.”

“I agree with Jay. We get it over with, let everyone out, and start looting while they’re unprepared. Imagine how impressed they’ll be when we pull this off in less than a day!” Audrey’s eyes were alight with pride as they started working out their plan. The curfew hours would be easy to work around so they wouldn’t get caught that way. Carlos was good with tech and could probably disable the cameras so no one would follow them. Then Evie, Jay and Audrey could get the wand out, somehow, and they’d be home free by midnight.

The rest of the day leading up to the break-in was pretty uneventful. Evie and Audrey went over useful spells in Maleficent’s spellbook and any of the Evil Queen’s spells that they could remember. Carlos did more research on the wand and tried to find out any info he possibly good on the museum’s security system while Jay experimented with what his powers could do. 

The girls went to the boys' dorm at around seven and they finalized the details of their plan. First, Audrey would put the guards to sleep so they could sneak in undetected. Then, Carlos would disable the cameras and Evie would lead them to the wand with the help of her magic mirror. Then Audrey, Jay, and Evie would work together to get past the magical protections while Carlos disabled the alarms. Grab the wand, take down the barrier, revenge. Easy peasy.

At around eight, they left the dorms, saying they needed a little air. As long as they were back in their dorms by midnight, no one would care, right?

Audrey flipped through the pages of Maleficent’s spellbook as they made their way up the museum steps. “Alright, got the spell. Now, where are the guards?” Apparently, Auradon thought only one guard was needed to protect their most powerful and valuable possessions. “Kind of disappointing…. I always wondered what the sleeping spell sweep looked like….” Still, they had to get rid of him if they were going to do this. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath and recited the words to the spell.

_ Prick the finger, prick it deep _

_ Send my enemy off to sleep _

With bated breath, the four waited for the spell to take hold. They waited. And waited. And ducked under the window as he turned his chair toward them. And waited. And waited. “Any time now would be great,” Carlos murmured. Audrey stood back up to see if it had worked; the guard was still very much awake and alert.

What. The. Underworld.

She shook her head and sank back to the ground. “No. No. NononononononoNO! This can’t be happening.” Clutching the spellbook to her chest, she frantically wiped at the tears that threatened to fall. “Of course. Of course. Only I would be the offspring of two overpowered pricks and still be useless!”

Evie hugged her and dug a few makeup wipes out of her purse for her to clean her face with. “It’s okay, Auds. We’ll figure something out….” The bluenette nodded to Jay to say or do something about this. Not one for talking, Jay slowly stood and rubbed his hands together. 

“Okay, I can do this without it but it works better if there’s a wish statement. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s how it works.” 

Carlos nodded. “Best guess anyway. So, uh…. I wish that guard would fall asleep until we leave.”

Jay’s hands glowed a bright gold and he murmured a quick spell. Within seconds, the guard was slumped in his chair and snoring. “Great, that’s done. Now, to get inside….” Luckily, Jay was a fairly expert lock-picker.

Now that they had access, they made their way inside. Carlos immediately went for the computers at the guard’s desk and disabled the cameras and as many alarms as he could while Evie tried to comfort Audrey. 

“You’re not useless, Auds. You still have an amazing brain and you’re sweet and-”

“Please stop,” Audrey whispered, wiping away the last of her tears. “You’re sweet but I can’t handle this right now. We still have a mission.”

Evie nodded but held her hand tightly as she pulled out the magic mirror. She was going to comfort her best friend regardless of the situation. “Okay…. Right, okay.”

_ Magic Mirror, in my hand _

_ Where does Fairy Godmother’s wand stand? _

She led their little party through the halls of the museum until they came to the center of the building, where Fairy Godmother’s wand floated about five feet above the ground. Carlos’ work had hopefully silenced the alarms around it but the force field was still there. The white-haired boy found a control panel for it and started working on disabling it, Audrey right behind him with any tools he might need.

“Alright, how do we get through the magical defenses?” Jay pondered aloud, circling the wand as if that might give him answers.

Evie shrugged and mentally flipped through every spell she ever learned. “I don’t know. We could wish them away but we still don’t know how powerful you are. My powers are better for potions than mystical spells….” She’d never say it aloud but this sure would be a lot easier if Audrey had powers.

Hay seemed offended at the notion he wasn’t powerful enough to do away with the magic defenses but she had a point. “Maybe we won’t need to worry about it. What if the wand can just register we have magic and let us handle it?”

“That’s a pretty big if. We could get in massive trouble….” Still, it might just be their best shot.

Carlos got the force field down and he and Audrey watched as Jay slowly moved closer to the wand. She bit her lip hard as Jay’s fingers slowly closed around the powerful piece and all four held their breath, praying no alarms went off. The silence dragged on and the Agrabahain smirked as he pulled the wand from its resting place.

Big mistake.

Loud sirens went off as soon as wand moved an inch and Jay was blasted backward into a wall. Audrey helped him up as they ran from the building, pausing only for a moment so Carlos could shut down the alarm and quell the worries of the King. Miraculously, the guard did, in fact, remain asleep until they all left the building and they could not have been more grateful. At half-past eleven, the group made it back to their dorms, collapsing on the soft mattresses for a good night’s sleep. With school and major plotting to do, they were going to need it.


	4. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of school at Auradon Prep is full of surprises. Some good will be good, some will be bad. The only constant is that Jay thinks it's all bullshit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!! I know, I know, it's been a while since I updated but between some real-life stuff and a hit of writer's block meant I was out of commission for a while. I hope you enjoy this update either way!

Audrey groaned when her alarm went off, smacking the annoying device to the floor before reluctantly leaving the bed. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before despite her best efforts. The events at the museum kept playing through her mind and haunting her dreams, Maleficent laughing in the background.

Yawning, she stumbled into the bathroom to splash her face with water. Today was their first day of school in Auradon and she was definitely not ready for it. She came back out to get changed to find Evie doing her hair and makeup. “Are you ready for today? Because I’m not!” She was going to have to explain to Fairy Godmother that she didn’t have any magical skills and then deal with other _ normal _ classes on top of that?! Even if no one else would know, it was going to be super humiliating.

Evie sighed and put down her brush. “Auds, you’re going to be just fine. Fairy Godmother won’t make a fuss about the magic thing and it’s not like the whole school is going to be watching. Besides, now you can have something you actually want in that time slot. Like art or something.”

Audrey sighed and fiddled with her sleeves. “Yeah, I know. I’m just nervous is all. We only have a few classes with each other and…. I don’t like that.” At Dragon Hall, the four of them spent most of the day around each other, the only exception being Evie’s Selfie Seminar and Jay’s Advanced Thieving. In Auradon, they were much more spread out and it was lucky they had lunch together.

Evie walked over and pulled her into a loose hug. “I know. But it won’t be long until we get the wand and then we won’t even have to worry about school.”

“Yeah…. You’re right.” 

\----------------------------------------------------------

About two hours into school, Jay officially decided it was bullshit. First of all, you have to actually go to classes on time. Second, almost none of the classes were remotely useful or practical in any way. Third, he didn’t have his friends in half his classes and that made it much harder to not punch somebody. Fourth, they actually had to DO their homework! How crazy was that?!

Magic Training with Fairy Godmother wasn’t too bad. He was the only student and he actually learned useful stuff. But her overly-positive demeanor was a bit much for him and there was only so much kindergarden voice he could handle. He practically ran out of the room when the bell rang but she managed to grab him by the wrist to hand him his homework. _ Stupid homework…. _

He finally had Carlos for Algebra which he was super grateful for because he had no idea what was going on. “Who decided to put numbers and letters together?” he mumbled, staring helplessly at his worksheet.

Carlos rolled his eyes and slid over his already complete sheet. “You don’t need to whine for me to let you copy.” 

“I wasn’t whining. I wasn complaining.” He copied the paper, keeping an eye on the teacher so they wouldn’t get caught. “What d’ya think of the place? I bet it’d be fun to raid with all those lockers….”

Carlos shrugged and tapped his pen on the desk. “Maybe. I like the recent textbooks and laptops. Better then putting together scraps of the old stuff. I’d have a proper lab too.” Assuming he ever got to use it. Knowing Cruella he’d just upgrade to cleaning a castle instead of Hell Hall.

Jay gave him a Look and wrote a little faster. Of course he knew their parents would reap more of the benefits from this whole revenge deal. Still, it would be fun to see a little destruction in the land of perfection. What’s the worst that could happen? “Just remember the plan. And keep an eye out for anything that could get us there sooner.”

Carlos nodded and went back to making notes in his invention book. Now that he was in Auradon, he had access to some decent materials and he was ready to see what he could do.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Evie was having a better time but not by much. It was amazing how few people truly appreciated the art of arriving fashionably late. She nearly got detention in Mr. Delay’s class but (almost as if by magic) Fairy Godmother popped in to remind him that the VKs would need time to adjust. The only downside was that the only available seat was near that dwarf fellow from the other day. She really would have preferred a prince but that’s the price of making an entrance.

Doug really wasn’t all that bad. He was just a bit...boring. But he was nice and helped her with the assignment which she was totally lost on because they didn’t really have science on the Isle. Not that Mr. Delay cared about that as he tried to get his ego back by making her answer a question on the board that even Doug had a double-take with. Had they even covered atomic weight in this class? 

But what else are magic mirrors for?

With her confidence asserted, she smirked and tossed the chalk back at Mr. “I have a fragile ego” and went back to her seat, where she found a note from a certain Chad Charming. _ A meeting under the bleachers after school??? Yes please! _ She nodded her confirmation and was barely able to focus for the rest of the class. Day one and she already has a date with a prince? Her mother would be so proud.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Audrey took a deep breath before entering her Magical Control class. It was now or never. “I don’t belong here.”

Fairy Godmother blinked and put down her textbook. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean. This _ is _ where you’re slotted to be right now.”

Audrey sighed and put down her books. “Yeah, I know. But…. I tried out a few spells last night just to see what I could do and nothing happened.”

“I see….” She flipped the pages of the book and pointed at a simple beginner spell. “Let’s try this anyway. Maybe you just need to unlock your potential with something simple.” They spent the next 15 minutes trying out simple telekinesis and illusion spells with no luck. Pursing her lips, Fairy Godmother put away the book and took a close look at Audrey. _ Strange…. The offspring of two powerful beings should have some sort of powers or at least an aura indicating how to unlock them and yet…. _

“Well, it can be a bit of a lottery with these things. For now, we’ll find another class to put you in.”

Audrey smiled weakly and nodded, sitting down and letting Fairy Godmother talk her through the electives at the school. After a while, she settled on cheerleading. It would be a good way to make some friends and apparently Mal was team captain so maybe she could figure out what was going on with her. Besides, it looked like fun! She’d need to audition to fully join but if she didn’t make it there was a freeform dance class in that slot too.

Hopefully she would make it though. It would be nice to feel like she really belonged somewhere.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Lunch time was the best class because of food and because they finally had a chance to talk together. Evie and Carlos chattered about their classes and homework, Jay scarfed down his lunch, and Audrey picked at her food. 

Mal saw them from across the cafeteria. Fairy Godmother told her of Audrey’s schedule change and she was curious about why. Cheerleading wasn’t all that popular, most princesses preferring not to sweat or work at all but maybe it was different on the Isle. With a deep breath to calm her nerves and silence the voices, she walked towards their table and greeted them with a wave and smile. “Hey, Audrey. I heard you were interested in the cheer squad?”

“Uh, yeah. The other elective I was in wasn’t all that great, so I decided to give cheer a try. Is...that okay?”

“Oh, absolutely! We’re always looking for new members!” Mal giggled and presented her with a pamphlet, smiled tightening as the voices decided to start up again. “You can officially try out tomorrow. (_ She’ll try to unseat you _ )This is what we look for in our team members ( _ She’ll curse you _ ) if you want to prepare. ( _ He will if she doesn’t _ ) And we’ll look into getting you a fitted uniform soon, okay? ( _ She’ll kill you _)”

“O-kay….”

“Great! See you tomorrow!” (_ Beware the enemies, they’re all around you, waiting to STRIKE!!! _)

Jay quirked an eyebrow at the girl sitting across from him. “Cheer? Really?”

Audrey stuck her tongue out at him and started looking over the pamphlet. “Relax; it’s just to pass the time. Besides, maybe I’ll learn something useful there. I hear the team is mostly sidekicks, maybe I can get intel.”

Evie smiled and patted her hand. “That sounds good. And even if you don’t, it looks like fun and makes us look good. Maybe the boys could follow your example and get into sports?” she suggested, looking pointedly at Jay.

Jay snorted and went back to his food. “And what are you going to do then?” Carlos huffed. “How come you’re not running for class president then?”

Evie giggled and flipped her hair. “Me? Oh, I’m filling in the Star Student role. I’ve already impressed most of my teachers today.”

“So did I! And I don’t have a magic mirror!”

She gasped in faux-horror. “Excuse you, I only used it once! And it got me a date too. So maybe I’ll be the School Sweetheart and you can be Star Student.”

Audrey laughed at their banter. “Okay so Evie’s the School Sweetheart, Carlos is the Star Student, Jay’s the Jock, and I’m the Cheerleader.”

“Hey! I didn’t agree to be a part of this!”

“Too late. Deal with it.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group didn’t see each other again until Remedial Goodness and as expected, Carlos and Audrey were the only ones that made it on time. Fairy Godmother insisted on waiting until everyone arrived before starting so Carlos took the time to look over his work from the rest of his classes. Most of his homework was already done, either completed in class or during lunch. He had a new textbook for each class which was really nice because then he could properly get ahead if he chose to (and he probably would). He had to admit, it was nice holding a fresh book in his hands, not scribbled on or cut up or wet unlike all his books on the Isle.

Finally, Evie and Jay arrived, just strolling along as if they weren’t ten minutes late. Fairy Godmother pursed their lips at them before turning her attention to the black board to start the day’s lesson. Carlos mostly tuned her out, flipping through the book she’d set out for them earlier. Most of it seemed to cover manners and etiquette and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Wasn’t goodness supposed to be about doing the right thing even if other people disagreed? Or did he hear that wrong and it was actually about discerning when it was okay to tell white lies?

Well, what did he know? He was just a VK.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evie nearly vibrated with excitement as she approached Chad under the bleachers. She was going to talk to a price. A real prince! With a castle and everything! “Hi, Chad,” she greeted, batting her eyelashes.

“Hey. It’s Evie, right?”

“Yep, that’s me!” _ Keep it cool _. “So, you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yeah,” he smirked, resting against the supports. “You really nailed that chemistry problem earlier. I mean, when I saw you I thought you were just about looks but beauty _ and _ brains? Are all Isle girls like that?”

“Well,” Evie giggled. “I like to think I’m the fairest of them all.” _ Okay, beauty and brains…. Interesting. _ She thought princes only wanted beauty but maybe Chad was just special.

“Is that so?” Chad leaned in a little closer. “You know, I’d love to talk to you, get to know you better. You seem like a really interesting person….”

Evie smiled brighter and leaned in for a kiss just as he turned his head away. “But I’m just so swamped lately. I mean, homework around here is insane, you know?”

“Yeah…. So insane.”

“But I bet it’s no problem for a smart girl like you.” He took off his backpack and handed it to her. “Hey, maybe if you could handle some of my homework along with yours, we could hang out sometime soon.”

_ Date #2??? Yes please! _ “Yeah, sure, definitely. No problem for a smart girl like me!”

“That’s great! You just let me know when you get that handled and we’ll set it up.” With that, he left her holding their bags with a big smile and a sense of disbelief.

Auradon was turning out to be very strange indeed.

Outside their dorm, she spotted a plain girl in a pastel blue dress, biting her lip as she hesitated to knock on the door. “Hi. Can I help you?”

The girl jumped, looking at her with fear and apprehension. “Me? Oh, well just….” She handed Evie a stack of brochures. “Doug forgot to give these to you. It’s all the school events we have coming up if you want to go. Pep rallies, sports events, fundraisers, all that. My name's Jane by the way. I’m, uh, Fairy Godmother’s daughter.”

Evie tilted her head and smiled. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Jane.” _ Fairy Godmother’s daughter? You are shockingly in need of a makeover._ “Was there anything else?”

“Oh, no! I-I’ll be getting out of your hair now!” She rushed off in a speed-walk towards the dorm entrance, presumably to meet with her mother. Evie entered the dorm and set everything down on her bed, a million thoughts running through her mind. Maybe Jane was a quicker ticket to the wand than waiting for the coronation. 

They needed to have another meeting. 

Now.


	5. Emperor's New Clothes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day two begins. Our players get more settled into Auradon, by voluteer or by force. Either way, something is brewing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm not dead! I really didn't mean for this chapter to center around Jay so much but honestly, he was so much fun to write and I think it works really well. Also, I have a little headcanon that all the VKs except for Carlos suck at technology so expect more shenanigans on that front as the series continues!

“So who’s this Jane again?”

Evie sighed and rubbed her temples. “She’s Fairy Godmother’s daughter. I think we might have another way to get the wand!”

“Okay, but how? She seems pretty nervous about being around us and it’s not like we could threaten her. Well, not without getting in trouble with Mommy Dearest.” Jay flopped back onto the bed and fiddled with a phone he’d lifted off a pastel prince earlier.

“Easy. We entice her with a makeover.”

Carlos smiled kindly and patted her shoulder. “Evie…. Makeovers aren’t the answer to everything. It only worked on my mom because she’s a vain bitch.”

Evie glared at him and lightly punched his arm. “I’m serious. She’s  _ Fairy Godmother’s  _ daughter and she’s so drab and plain. Fairy Godmother made Cinderella gorgeous and she won’t even lift the wand for her own daughter? Come on, there’s got to be some resentment there.”

Audrey looked up from the cheerleading pamphlet and pondered her words. “Well…. I’m sure there’s some kind of beauty spell in my mother’s spellbook. Maybe we could entice her with that.”

“Are you sure it’ll work? What if we can’t use it because we’re not blood?”

Audrey shrugged. “It’s better than doing nothing, isn’t it? I’m pretty sure we’d need a spell to get away with it at the coronation anyway so we may as well try.”

Evie bit her lip and looked up a basic spell. “Maybe we should try it out first, before it’s do-or-die, you know?” Magic was rather finicky and one never really knew how the dice were going to land. She tried a few basic spells (levitation and what not) but nothing seemed to stick.

Jay groaned as he sat up. “Great. Now what are we going to do? I’m the only other one with magic here and I can’t just walk up to her! I’m a dude! That’s weird!”

Carlos turned to him and tilted his head. “Wait…. Can’t you shapeshift?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So why don’t you just shapeshift into one of the girls and do your thing? All she needs to do is say ‘I wish’ and you’re golden.”

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Of course it does,” Audrey interjected. “Carlos said it.”

Jay rolled his eyes and grabbed the spellbook. “Mind if I use this as a prop? It’d look a little suspicious if I didn’t have a spell reference.”

“Whatever. Just don’t get it messed up.” Truth be told, Audrey felt a little put out. She was already different on the whole ability to be evil thing and now she wasn’t even really able to weigh in on the next step of the plan. In the grand scheme of things that probably didn’t mean much but she could hear her mother berating her for not coming up with these ideas herself. Scheming was never her best subject. 

Evie’s pen moved across the paper furiously, somehow still legible. “So, final plan: Jay turns into me, as Fairy Godmother may have told her about your not having powers, and finds Jane during the lunch period. They go somewhere no one will see them and Jay gets her into the hair spell and encourages her to go to her mom for the rest. He gets invited to see it happen as she will need my advice on the best features and he either gets the wand or an idea on how to steal it. Sound evil?”

“Downright diabolical!” Jay and Carlos high-fived while Evie and Audrey gathered their things; it would be curfew soon.

The next day, Jay took a deep breath as he double-checked himself in the mirror. He was the spitting image of Evie, down to the last strand of hair on her pretty little head. The big question was: could he  _ be _ her? Only one way to find out.

He entered the cafeteria and spotted Jane sitting at a lone table in the corner. Squaring his shoulders, he did his best princess walk over and gently tapped the table to get her attention. With what he hoped was a kind smile, he sat down in front of her. “Hi! It’s Jane, right?”

Jane nodded and warily eyed him. “Right…. And you’re Evie? I remember you from yesterday.”

He nodded and tilted his head. “Yep, that’s me. I just wanted to talk to you about something and I saw you sitting over here and thought it was a good time. Is it?”

She smiled sadly and nodded, pushing aside her lunch. “Sure. What did you want to talk about?”

“Well, me and my gal-  _ friends _ want to branch out a little while we’re here and I thought: who better to ask for advice than Fairy Godmother’s daughter herself?” He hated being a kiss-ass but that’s what Evie would say. Well, it’s what Evie wrote on the script they practiced last night.

Jane seemed surprised at the question. “Me? Oh, I’m not that popular. If you really want advice on making friends you should as Mallory. Or Ben. Or literally anyone else.”

_ You don’t have friends? Shocker…. _ “Oh, I’m sure it’s not that bad. I mean, you’re  _ Fairy Godmother’s daughter _ ! I’m surprised you’re not beating them off with a stick.”

Jane shrugged and picked at the table. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m not exactly  _ on-level _ with everyone else here. They’re all so pretty and flirty and…. Well, you can see….”

Yes, he could see. He could see the flat hair in a pathetic bob, the lack of makeup skills, the drab wardrobe. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think he walked into a living cemetery. “Oh, it’s not that bad. Nothing a little  _ swish _ from that wand couldn’t fix.”

Jane groaned and rolled her eyes. “I wish. Mother won’t do it and trust me, I asked. Not for much, just a little nose work. But she  _ insists _ that ‘beauty comes from the inside. Ugh.”

“Wow, she sounds like a drag.”

“She  _ is _ ! She won’t even teach me real magic aside from the Control Class because ‘the real magic is in the books’. Not even cool books, boring ones like history and stuff.” She sighed and looked at him, much more relaxed than before. “I wish I was pretty like you. You have great hair.”

_ You wish, do you? _ A little evil crept into his smile as he pulled out the spellbook. “You know…. I have something for that.”

Her eyes went wide at the spellbook. “For real? Are you sure it’s a good idea?”

Jay nodded, flipping to the pre-marked page. “Just a little hair spell. It’ll give you a flattering look and never get messed up! And who knows? Maybe seeing what just a little magic can do will convince your mom to do a little more ...”

“You really think so?!”

“Practically a guarantee.” He stood and gestured for her to follow. “Come on, let’s go somewhere more private.”

They found an empty classroom not far from the cafeteria. “This is so great. What do you think it’ll look like? I wish my hair was like yours or Audrey's ...” Jay tried not to roll his eyes at her enthusiasm and focused on her wish. He’d have to focus on Audrey’s hair because Evie’s blue wouldn’t go well with Jane’s usual wardrobe.

“Okay. Are you ready?”

“So ready!”

He closed his eyes and focused, mumbling under his breath. With a flash of gold, Jane’s hair grew and fell gently over her shoulders, curls falling down her back and bow sliding to the side of her head. He conjured a small mirror for her to look in and held back a gag at her excitement.  _ It’s just hair. You still got some work…. _ “Looks good, huh? Frames your face well ...”

Jane squealed and nearly tackled him in a hug. “It’s amazing! Thank you!!!”

“And you’ll let me know what your mom says about the wand? I have to know how this ends!”

“I’ll do you one better. If I can get mom to bring out the wand, I want you there. I need your advice on this stuff….” 

He smiled tightly and opened the door. “That’s so sweet of you! I’d love to be there.” Thankfully, the bell rang and it was time to go to class. “I’ll see you around?”

“See you!” Jane rushed off and Jay ran in the other direction, ducking into the bathroom to change back into himself. For once, he was happy to go to class.  _ What is Auradon doing to me? _

\---------------------

Audrey took a deep breath before walking into the gym. Jay had assured her they were golden with the wand from Jane but that didn’t ease her nerves. She wanted to do well and she was still sure this would help them if the Jane thing didn’t work out. Besides, it would give her a chance to check out Mal; she was getting odd vibes from the princess and she was very curious.

When she finally got the guts to go in, she felt a little unprepared. Lots of other girls were already there, stretching and practicing routines. Mal was in the center of the gym talking to a girl with short black hair and a dragon design on the back of her shirt.  _ Mulan’s daughter? _ She’d heard of her and had no doubt she would steal the show. What was she doing?

Mal looked over and saw Audrey standing by the door looking ready to bolt. “Lonnie, see that girl over there? That’s Audrey, one of our transfer students. Do you mind going over and talking to her? I would but ...”

“Parent rivalry? Totally get it. Leave this to me.” Lonnie shot finger guns at her and walked over to Audrey. “Hey, I’m Lonnie. You’re Audrey, right?”

“Y-Yeah….”

“Awesome! We’ve been looking for someone with a little grit on the team. Half the girls out here are afraid of sweat. I bet you’re no stranger to sweat and work, right?”

“Well, I’m not a fan of sweat but I can deal with it.” Audrey smiled weakly and set her bag down to start stretching. “So are try-outs super strict?”

“Not usually but this one is. Normally our try-outs are at the beginning of the year and everyone can get a spot pretty easily. But today we have a few late recruits from other schools and there’s only five spots left. But I’m sure you’ll get in.”

Audrey nodded and continued stretching, trying to think about the main routines. She’d spent most of the night practicing with Evie and she could only hope she did as well here.

All too soon, Mal called try-outs together. “Okay! We have a lot of lovely new faces but only a few spots to fill, unfortunately. Just remember at the end of the day you’re all wonderful and you’re more than welcome to join the Spirit Club and help us cheer our boys to victory!” 

Lonnie rolled her eyes next to Mal but saved face with a smile. “Alright, ladies! Here’s the routine!”

Audrey watched as carefully as she could but she still felt a little lost. Still, she tried her best and felt pretty good about it. Once everyone had showered, Mal called them back into the gym to read the results. “Alright, our new members are: Jordan, daughter of Genie; Allie, daughter of Alice; Morgan, daughter of Merida; Holly, daughter of Happy; and Audrey, daughter of Maleficent.” There was a small gasp when her name was called but Audrey didn’t give a damn. She’d made it onto the team and she might actually do something useful for the big Plan. 

After a quick fitting with Mal and Lonnie, Audrey rushed to her next class. She was tired and she’d likely be sore tomorrow but for now she was doing just fine.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The four walked into Remedial Goodness together, feeling much better about all this than the previous day. On each of their desks was a small box, too small to hold anything they’d seen around school except a few pens and pencils. Fairy Godmother smiled at them and tapped the blackboard with her stick. “Well, another day comes to an end. I did have a lesson planned for today on Dining etiquette but Ben mentioned something even more important: Cyber Etiquette. Now, as part of your enrollment in the school, you have an Auradon Prep account that allows you to connect with your fellow students and an email that lets you talk to your teachers. But in my meeting with Ben yesterday it came up that you might not know a few things about the internet and internet safety because...well, you didn’t have it. I thought we could go over a few rules and practice our skills with a smaller device than your laptops: a Smartphone. Go on, open the boxes and we can get started.” 

Carlos couldn’t have opened his faster if he tried. He’d heard about smartphones and collected parts back on the Isle. Now he has to have one of his own to play with?! How cool was that?! The others were slightly less excited. It was great getting free stuff but they’d never seen one before and frankly, they were grateful everything was already set up on them. 

The lesson seemed to drag on forever for all but the youngest of their gang who was more than happy to help them if needed. When class was dismissed, Jay handed Carlos his phone for experimental reasons and was ready to head back to his dorm when Fairy Godmother stopped him. 

“Jay, dear. Have you decided on an extracurricular yet?”

“...Was I supposed to?”

“Yes, it was a part of your orientation packet. Audrey’s chosen cheerleading, Carlos signed on for robotics, and Evie chose an extra dance class, ballet I think. What did you want?”

“Ummm…..” Jay hadn’t really thought about it as they were supposed to already have the wand by now. “I guess…. Sports?” He was supposed to be the jock, right?”

“Oh, good! We could use a tough boy like you on our teams. Which one did you want to sign up for?”

“Uhh…..”  _ Why me? Just….why? _ He glanced out the window onto the Tourney field and saw the boys tackling each other. He didn’t know what other sports there were but at least he knew that one would let him get out a little aggression. “Tourney. I’ll take Tourney.”

“Excellent choice. I’ll let Coach know and you can try out after school tomorrow.”

  
“Can’t wait!”  _ I totally can wait. Take as long as you can. Please. _


	6. True Love's Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes forward with their last backup plan. Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, will our VKs start to have a real change of heart?

The next day, Audrey and Evie were sitting in their room when there was a soft yet frantic knocking on the door. The bluenette opened it and was nearly knocked over by a flurry of pastels. Before either of them could say anything Jane was already going at a mile a minute. “Can you believe Mom won’t use the wand to make me pretty? And she was soooo mad about the hair too, but she couldn’t undo it for some reason. Anyway, it’s not like it’s doing any harm! What trouble could a nose job cause, huh?!”

It took the girls a second to recover from the flurry of information before responding. “Oh, Jane dear, I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Evie started, leading her over to a chair.

“It is that bad! I just want to look good for the Coronation and she keeps going on about how ‘It’s what on the inside that matters’.” Audrey absentmindedly wondered if it hurt her throat to make her voice squeak like that. “I mean, seriously, what world is she living in!”

“Auradon, apparently,” Evie muttered, pulling out her makeup pallet. “Well, I can’t do much for you on that front. I don’t want to accidentally make things worse for you so no magic. However….” Her fingers danced over her many brushes until she found the right one. “For now, I can teach you some more practical tricks.” 

Jane bit her lip and looked up at Evie. “Do you really think that’ll do it? Just some makeup?”

Evie’s heart went out to the poor fairy. She knew what it was like to feel like no matter what you did you’d never make the bar. “I’m sure it will. I mean, you don’t look all that bad, really. You just need to emphasize the right features.”

“The right features?”

“Oh, yes! I mean look at yourself! Your eyes are so bright and I would kill for those cheekbones.” Evie sat in front of her and gently squeezed her hand. “Trust me, I totally aced Selfies class; I know what looks good and  _ you _ look good.”

Audrey took advantage of the distraction to go out and update the boys on the plan. She entered their dorm and was surprised she didn’t see Jay. “Is he still at try-outs?” she asked Carlos, looking through the other boy’s things for her spellbook. 

“Yeah,” Carlos sighed, setting down his controller. “I guess they’re trying to figure out where to put him on the team?”

Audrey groaned and plopped on the mattress. “Stupid Auradon and it’s stupid structures and rules….” She sighed and pushed her hair out of her face. “Anyway, Jane was a bust. We need a new way to get the wand.”

Carlos hummed and fiddled with the controller. “Well, the coronation is coming up and we know it’ll be out for that. Maybe we could get Ben or Mal to let us up front near it?” 

Audrey nodded and flipped through her spellbook. “Yeah… and if that doesn’t work…. We could try a love potion. That would guarantee one of us a spot….”

Carlos nodded silently. Like Audrey, he’d never really been a fan of evil (though he was better at carrying it out). “If it comes to that….”

Evie arrived, barely knocking before bursting into the room. “Okay, Jane’s taken care of and feeling immensely better about herself. So, have we come up with a new plan? And where’s Jay?”

“Still at try-outs. He should be back soon.” Carlos saved his game and went to the Plotting table. Audrey followed, still flipping through the spellbook. 

“We’re thinking our best shot will be the coronation,” she murmured, finally finding the page she was looking for. “Either we convince Mal and Ben to let us up front or…. Love spell.”

Evie nodded solemnly. She never minded evil, sometimes it was even fun, but something felt wrong about spelling Mal or Ben. They were just so...innocent. Sweet. Evil was more fun when it was expected. “We’re running out of time for friendship. It might be better to go ahead with the spell.”

Jay burst into the room abruptly, panting and sweating. “I...swear...to evil….” He grumbled all the way into the bathroom and banged around in the shower while the other three stared after him, wondering what the hell went down at try-outs. Jay came out a few minutes later with hair in a towel and nothing else but his boxers. “So, why are we all meeting in here?”

Audrey raised an eyebrow and looked him over. “That’s it? We’re just gonna pretend that wasn’t the most dramatic entrance you’ve ever made?”

Jay rolled his eyes. “Oh, come  _ on _ . I just had to spend an hour catering to the porcelain physiques of a bunch of princes! Not gonna put me in a good mood.”

“Fair enough. Do you think you made the team?”

“I don’t know and frankly I don’t care! Why should i?”

“Because if you don’t then you’ll have to pick another elective with Fairy Godmother.”

Jay groaned and sat in his chair. “Don’t make me think about that now. Anyway, what’s up?”

Evie sighed and crossed her legs. “Well, Jane was a bust so we’ll have to try for the wand at the coronation. We were thinking about using Mal or Ben as a ticket to the front row, right in front of the wand.”

“Ben. He’s getting crowned, he’s guaranteed front row. So, how do we get in?” he asked, looking pointedly at Audrey, who was looking very guiltily at her spellbook.

“We were thinking a love spell…. That sound good with you?”

Jay cracked an evil smirk. “Sounds perfect. So, who’s the bait?”

“Not me,” Audrey said immediately, pushing the book away. “Mal probably doesn’t trust me enough to be alone with him and I’d probably scare him off.”

Evie smiled and shook her head. “I think Jay’s more likely to scare him off. But you are horrible at flirting….”

“So Evie’s going?” Carlos asked, shifting in his seat.

“Well, she is the princess,” Jay mused. “And she looks the most innocent, besides Carlos, so she’ll make a good cover. Plus, she may even be able to weild the wand if it comes to it.”

“Or you could shapeshift again for the big event,” Audrey chimed in. “You’re the most likely to be able to handle it.”

Evie pouted a bit but didn’t say anything. The Plan and freeing the Isle were more important than her fantasies. Besides, when the villains won, she could have any prince she wanted, right?

\--------------------------------------------------------------

They congregated in the kitchen later that evening after they’d finished all their homework and after school activities. They decided to bake the potion into something, less risky than trying to get it into a drink, but they were missing an ingredient. “We still need a tear of human sadness or this isn’t gonna work,” Audrey groans, stirring the batter.

“Just chop an onion,” Jay suggests, tossing one ot Evie.

“That’s not how it works,” the bluenette explained. “Emotional tears have a different chemical makeup than reflex tears. So, yeah, we need a real sadness tear.”

“And where are we going to get one of those? None of us are feeling sad and it’s not like we cry.”

Just then, the door banged open and Lonnie and Mal walked in, giggling up a storm. “And then he- Oh. Hi. I…. I didn’t think anyone else would be in here.” Mal bit her lip and Lonnie smiled and stepped toward them.

“Oh, making cookies? Mind if I grab a little batter?” The four VKs looked on in horror as she dipped her finger into the mix and ate it innocently. “What? Don’t worry, I’m not gonna double dip!”

“Uh...are you….feeling anything? Anything different? At all?” Audrey cautiously moved closer, praying they hadn’t just blown it.

Lonnie shook her head and backed away. “Nope, not feeling anything. Except…. This needs chocolate chips!” She went through the contents of the pantry looking for the holy treat. Mal smiled apologetically at the four and tapped her shoulder. 

“Lonnie…. I think maybe we should leave them to it. We did just barge in on them.”

“No, no it’s okay,” Carlos interjected, hopping down from the counter. He’d gotten hooked on chocolate and this was the first he’d heard of chocolate chips. “What are chocolate chips? And why do we need them?” Jay resisted the urge to punch his arm for that one, keeping an eye on the Auradon girls.

Lonnie came out of the pantry victoriously, taking the large bag to the mixing bowl. “Only the most important ingredient in a cookie! I mean, everyone knows chocolate chip cookies are the best. They’re so soft when they’re right out of the oven and they just melt in your mouth like heaven and all your problems go away….”

Mal smiled softly and grabbed a measuring cup. “Just make sure it’s more cookie than chocolate though. Too many chips just get lumpy and weird.”

The four vks watched as they added the new treat to the cookie batter, mixing it in seamlessly.

“So, why are you guys in here? Little midnight snack comfort food?”

Evie tilted her head. “Comfort food?”

“Yeah.” Lonnie popped some chips in her mouth. “You know, when you’re just having a bad day and you need something to make you feel better. Cookies are the  _ best _ comfort food. Especially when your mom makes them and she just sits down and listens to you and makes everything better, you know?”

Mal bit her lip, looking at the vks. Given the looks on their faces, it was pretty clear that they did not know. Audrey was staring at the ground, Carlos had shrunk back behind Jay, who looked a little angry, and Evie was staring blankly at nothing. “Um…. Lonnie,” she whispered, “I, uh, I don’t think their parents ever did that with them….”

Lonnie blinked at her. “Well….I mean I just figured…. I mean, surely even villains love their kids, right?”

Jay laughed humorlessly. “Yeah, sure. Known murderers and child abusers change completely when they have kids.”

Evie snapped out of her trance and smacked his arm. “What Jay  _ means _ is…. Well, let’s just say we didn’t get a lot of comfort food….”

Lonnie’s eyes get wider and her hand covered her mouth in a silent gasp, realizing she may have made a mistake. “Oh, goodness…. I’m sorry, I didn’t think….” Mal gently rubbed her back as a tear slipped down her friend’s cheek. Audrey suddenly stepped forward and wiped away the tear, letting it fall into the bowl without anyone noticing.    
  


“It’s okay, you didn’t know. So…. I’ll see you guys at practice tomorrow?”

Mal nodded and lead Lonnie away. “Don’t forget the game tomorrow too. Fairy Godmother knows you’ll need to skip her class for pre-game.” Audrey nodded as the left, turning around with a clap once the door closed. 

“Alright, love potion complete, let’s make some cookies.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Evie fixed her hair one last time before closing her locker. She waited patiently for Ben to finish talking to Mal and Chad before walking over, container of cookies in hand. “Hey, Ben,” she greeted, fluttering her eyelashes.

Ben smiled kindly. “Hi, Evie. How are you doing? Settling in well?”

She nodded, holding up the container. “Yes, doing really well. I even decided to make some cookies and hand them out today. I thought it would be a  _ nice _ thing to do, maybe make a friend, but so far no one is taking any….” 

Ben sighed sadly and messed with the cuffs of his sleeves. “Yeah...the students aren’t being quite as welcoming as I’d hoped. But, it’s only been a few days; I’m sure they’ll come around.”

Evie nodded, smiling as she opened the container. “Would you like a cookie? Their double chocolate chip. Mal helped with them.”

Ben shook his head. “Oh, no. Thank you though.”

“Oh.” Evie’s face fell. “It’s okay, I understand. Be wary of villains….”

“No, no! It’s not that,” Ben rushed to assure her. “It’s just I have the game today and I try not to eat too close to a game.”

“No, it’s fine, I get it. I probably would trust it either. Well, more for me I guess….”

Ben suddenly reached into the container and grabbed a cookie, taking a big bite. “No, see, I totally trust you.” He locked eyes with her as he chewed. “Mmmm, really good. Nice and gooey and...soft...warm…. Have your eyes always had those little specks of gold in them?”

The other vks approached from their watchposts. Jay came up behind Ben and gently grabbed his shoulders. “How ya feelin’, bro?”

“I feel…. I feel like singing your name! EE-”

“No! No, that’s fine!” Evie rushed to quiet him while Jay covered his mouth, not wanting to draw too much attention. Unfortunately, Chad heard Ben’s excitement and came over to hear what all the fuss was about.    
  


“Hey, wha- Oh! Evie is this my- OUR home ec assignment?” Chad asked, reaching into the container and taking a cookie. The four watched in dismay as he ate the cookie, his eyes landing on Audrey. “Hey…. You know that scar is really charming….”

_ Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!  _ “Uh...thanks?”

Jay grabbed Ben and Chad’s arms and started walking them away. “Come on you two, we have a game to prep for….” The two princes kept their eyes on their new loves.

“You’ll be at the game later, right?” Ben asked, reaching for Evie’s hand. 

“Of course. You run along now!”

Audrey made the same promise to Chad and the three VKs looked at each other in disbelief. Carlos cleared his throat and shifted his backpack, breaking the silence for the first time in his life. “Well…. We have two love-spelled princes. That couldn’t hurt, could it?”

“Right...what could go wrong?” Evie muttered, stashing the cookies in her locker before anything else could happen.

“Well...maybe I could help with stealing the wand,” Audrey ventured. “Chad and Ben are close. If he asks me to the coronation, I’d probably be right up there with you. I may not have magic but I know how to fight and dodge.”

“Right, right….”

The bell for class rang. Audrey waved goodbye to her friends before dashing off to get ready for cheer. Evie and Carlos shrugged and headed off to Remedial Goodness on their own. “This is going to work, right?” Evie whispered.

Carlos nodded. “It has to. With both of you so close to the action, it’ll be hard to stop you.” Suddenly, an idea hit. “Hey, maybe Jay could pretend to be Audrey! I’d say our chances go way up then.”

Evie nodded, a tight smile on her face. “Let’s get through the game first. I hope Ben doesn’t do anything too crazy. Poor Mal….” It had just hit her that she stepped in the middle of a potential true love and ran a sword right through it.

Carlos bit his lip and kept his eyes on everything but Evie. “It’s only for a while. Once the villains come over, I’m sure she’ll have other things to worry about.”

  
“Right,” Evie muttered as they entered the class. She was going to have to work on finding an antidote.  _ Please let this work…. _


	7. Did I mention?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot moves forward and our characters move in new directions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention, that angst is hard to write? It took me a while to get this chapter out because I was anxious about writing the breakup but now it's done and out there so here it is!!! Enjoy!!!

Audrey laced up her shoes and grabbed her pompoms, running out to the field where the rest of the team was waiting. She had enough time to learn the sideline routines and basic cheers but her and the other four new girls would have to sit out the halftime performance, given how intricate it was. Still, she would be helping. She’d be fitting in. She’d be there.

Mal watched her out of the corner of her eye. She couldn’t place it but something was off about that girl. She wouldn’t say anything to anyone but Ben or Lonnie about it until she had proof of it though; no need to cause a fuss with no evidence.

Her attention was caught by the Tourney team as they headed for the lockers. She waved to Ben with a bright smile that faded when he ignored her. Meanwhile, Audrey got waves from Jay and….Chad? Yeah, something was definitely up. 

But that would have to wait until after the game. Right now, she had a performance to perfect.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Carlos tapped his pencil against the desk, his mind wandering in several directions as it often did in Remedial Goodness. Normally, his thoughts would be focused on his new project or one of his other classes but right now all he could think about was every possible outcome of what he had dubbed “The Cookie Incident”. 

Firstly, Ben had been spelled and was now in love with Evie. That was good; they now had a front row seat to the coronation and could snag the wand. 

Secondly, Chad had also been spelled and was now in love with Audrey. That could go a couple different ways. Either they have another person up close to the front to back up Evie or they had a higher chance of getting caught. What were the chances of not only one but  _ two _ princes falling in love with vks on the same day? Not high.

Thirdly, Ben being in love with Evie meant he had to break up with Mal. This was part of the plan and thus a good thing. However, depending on how Ben handled the breakup could cause problems. Mal was eerily reminiscent of Maleficent and Carlos couldn’t help but get chills around her. If Ben broke up with her in a way that she considered wrong or inappropriate or anything else negative, who could say what might happen?

Fourthly, Carlos was having a hard time imagining how any of this was going to work out in his favor. If they got the wand and brought the barrier down, he’d just be back in Cruella’s arms. If they failed and were caught, they’d be sent back to the Isle and who knew how long they’d last. The only other option was somehow they manage to win over everyone in Auradon and gain forgiveness for spelling a king, a prince, and trying to steal the wand. The chances of that last one, the best case scenario, were horribly low and it had him on edge. 

Evie wasn’t faring much better. Spelling Ben was all according to plan but having Chad under the spell was an unexpected hiccup. Ben was certainly the type to fall in love easily so it probably wouldn’t be hard to convince everyone that he really was in love with her. But Chad had been flirting with her just yesterday! Who knew how many other girls he had under a spell of his own? Yes, he was a ladies’ man and him being in love with anybody, let alone a VK, would be a hard sell. But they had to try; they’d be caught for sure if they didn’t.

Meanwhile, she still had to work out how she was going to handle being with Ben. Sure, she could play the part of a princess; she had been training her whole life after all. But, her being with Ben would mean breaking up with Mal. She could tell the two were really in love with each other and she wasn’t sure she could handle being the cause of someone’s heartbreak. Worse than that, Mal had magical abilities. If she could tell that Ben was spelled…. They’d all be in big trouble. Best case scenario was that Mal would be too upset to even try to figure out what was going on. 

Being evil had never felt so wrong before.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben was on cloud nine. He’d found the woman of his dreams, better than Mal even and he thought she was as good as it got! Sure, the feeling came about pretty randomly but it made sense. Evie was beautiful and nearly a perfect princess. Not to mention it would be easier to get the people of the Isle to trust him if he had one of their own in his court. It was perfect. Just perfect.

“Hey, Jay? You know Evie well, right?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Ben sighed dreamily as he put his gear on. “I want to ask her to the coronation. How should I do that?”

Jay took his time tying up his laces. “Shouldn’t you break up with Mal first? Or are you making a harem?” he joked, trying to ignore the twisting in his stomach. He never felt bad about breaking a girl’s heart before but somehow Mal was different. Maybe it was Auradon making him soft or maybe it was that this plan may not even work and she’d be heartbroken for nothing.

Right. He was still technically with her. “Hmmm… Well, I want to ask Evie out officially after we win the game so I should do that first. Something private before the game….” Ben pondered what he would say as the rest of the team got their gear together. Soon, they all ran out for the warm up period before the game as the Neverland team arrived on their bus.

Smiling, he walked over to Mal and olitley hugged her. “Hey, can we talk? Alone?”

“Don’t you need to warm up for the game?”

“I will, but I need to do this now.”

“Okay.” Mal smiled and followed him to a secluded place behind the bleachers, completely unaware of what was about to hit her. “What did you want to talk about?”

Ben smiled kindly and squeezed her hand. “I have to be honest with you; I’ve fallen in love with someone else.”

Mal’s smile faded and she blinked at him, head tilting in confusion. “What?”

“I just don’t think it wuld be fair to either of us if I stayed with you while my eye was on someone else. You understand that, right?”

“I….I guess. What’s brought this on?” 

Ben just hugged her and patted her shoulder. “It just sort of hit me this morning, that what I have with you isn’t True Love. I do love you just...not like that. We can still be friends though, right?”

“I-I….Sure.”

He smiled and hugged her again. “Great! I’ll see you after the game!” He ran back out onto the field for warmup, Jay and Chad clapping him on the back when he got there.

\-----------------------------------------------------

Mal walked back to her team and pulled Lonnie off to the side. “Lonnie…. I need you to take my place today. I can’t do it.”

“What?” Lonnie stared at her incredulously. “But it’s the homecoming game! This is what we’ve been working towards since summer practices started!”

Mal nodded and wiped her eyes. “I know but…. Ben just broke up with me out of nowhere and I’m not…. I can’t do it! I can’t go out there and see him and do my part. You need to take over.”

“Okay…. Okay. Are you sure? I can let Rachel take over and we can talk.”

Mal shook her head. “No, I think I can do sideline work, since we’re mostly facing the stands. But I’m going to have to disappear for halftime, okay?”

“If you need to. We’ll be one girl short so I’ll upgrade Audrey to the halftime show. She’s a good base anyway.”

Mal blinked and her eyes flashed green. “Audrey? Are you sure?”

Lonnie gripped her shoulders. “I know, I know. But she picked up on the routines faster than anyone else and she practically already knows that part. And her part would be small so if she messes up it won’t be a big deal. If you’re going to leave me short and in charge, I need you to trust me.”

Mal took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, you’re right. She made the team for a reason. Go tell her the good news while I fix my makeup. Be back in a flash!”

Lonnie shook her head and went over to Audrey. She and Ben would definitely be talking later. No matter what brave face Mal put on, she knew her friend was struggling. She really though the two of them were True Loves and it sucked that Ben couldn’t see that. It was odd how sudden everything was. Ben must’ve been hiding this for a while; he never did anything rashly.

“Audrey! Good news; Mal’s not gonna do the halftime show so I’m bumping you up. You know the base role, right?”

Audrey was startled but nodded. “Yeah. Five backflips across the middle twenty yards, line kick, flip back into pyramid base, cradle the girl on the left shoulder, then tumble to the front line for a split and jazz poms.”

Lonnie grinned and clapped her shoulder. “Atta girl! I knew I could count on you!”

Audrey smiled weakly and watched her walk away.  _ What the evil is going on? _ She couldn’t believe Mal was missing the halftime show or that she approved of Audrey’s new position. Oh well, the game would be starting soon and she needed a little more practice.

\---------------------------------------------------

Evie and Carlos stood on the edge of the bottom row of bleachers. It gave them the chance to talk to Audrey or Jay if needed and good seats for the game. Carlos was honestly fascinated by the whole thing. They never had sports on the Isle and the new experience intruigued him. Evie, on the other hand, watched through her fingers and flinched every time someone got knocked down. “Does it have to be so...violent? I thought Auradon was a happy place?”

Carlos shrugged. “Maybe this is why; they let out the aggression safely here and thus can be super nice elsewhere.”

“I guess….”

The game went by mostly as a blur for Jay and Audrey. Audrey cheered well, mind racing in preparation for the halftime show. Before she knew it, it was time and she’d never been more nervous. She was going into a performance she’d never fully performed before in front of two entire schools. Somehow, she survived it and actually got a congrats from the other new girls who didn’t get her spot. She felt...happy. Accepted. A nice feeling that was slightly soured by Chad’s flirting but luckily she had a very obvious excuse to blow him off.

Jay was having the time of his life. Playing Neverland was the best because they weren’t cowards afraid of a little tackle or two. He felt challenged, unlike his usual practice experience. Sure, it hurt a little more but he didn’t care; it just made the goals more satisfying. He was a little surprised to see all the princes hold up so well against the rougher Lost Boys but so long as they cleared the way for his goals, he didn't care. Who knew playing for a team could be fun?

All too soon, the game was coming to an end. It was the final 30 seconds, the game was tied. Ben passed the ball to Jay and Chad cleared the way for him to shoot. He aimed carefully and...the ball flew past the goalie through the net! The game was won!

Jay found himself hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates as the trophy was handed to him. In the background, the crowd cheered and the announcer congratulated them. But he couldn’t hear them. All he could hear was  _ Victory! Gold! We won! _ Over and over in his mind. They’d won. He’d won!

He was snapped out his thought by Ben grabbing the microphone and talking. “Hello! Excuse me? Can I have everyone’s attention please?” 

Mal watched him apprehensively. Was she about to find out who this mystery lover girl was? Lonnie held he arm for support as Ben started speaking again.

“As you all know, my coronation is coming at the end of the week. And today, in celebration of this victory over our fiercest rivals, I would like to ask someone very special to accompany me. Most of you don’t know her but she has a very special place in my heart.” He found Evie in the crowd and winked at her. “I love you, Evie. Did I mention that?” He motioned for the band to start playing and he sang his devotion to his new princess.

\--------------------------------

Mal’s heart thundered in her ears as she ran from the field, Lonnie close on her heels. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she ran past the gym, past the school, out into the forest. She didn’t stop until she reached a seaside cliff, falling to her knees as she sobbed. “He….He replaced me…. With her….” she panted as Lonnie came up behind her. He just traded one odd outsider for another, didn’t he?

Lonnie sighed and kneeled next to her, pulling her into a hug. “Mal…. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry he did this to you.”

Mal turned to her friend and cried, harder than she eve had in her entire life. After a few minutes, the well had run dry and she pushed herself to her feet, eyes glowing bright green. “I need a minute. Tell Mom I went for a fly.” Lonnie nodded as purple smoke gathered around Mal and a dragon took her place, launching off over the water. She was used to Mal needing to fly off to cool down.

\-----------------------------------

Audrey wanted to follow Mal and Lonnie, try to help, but Chad pulled her along for the dance number. She was literally swept off her feet and she went through it with a friendly smile.  _ I better find an antidote, fast…. _

Evie was more emotionally swept off her feet. Never had she imagined she’d be serenaded by a prince, let alone a future king. She had to pinch herself to remind her it wasn’t real. Ben was spelled, not in love. He wouldn’t look her way otherwise. That didn’t keep the enormous smile off her face as he came closer and sang his heart out for her. Before she knew it he was right in front of her, asking if she would be his date to the coronation. “Yes! Of course yes!”

“She said yes!”

The crowd cheered and Ben was carried away by his team. Carlos dragged her off the bleachers and back toward the school. “All according to plan,” he joked, knots building in his stomach. They hadn’t planned on something so public; would this make it easier or screw everything up?


	8. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The characters do a little soul searching after this afternoon's events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I know this chapter is a little short but I didn't want to pack too much into one chapter and soooo much happens next. You guys won't believe the next chapter, seriously ti'll be great. For now, enjoy this little segue.

Mal descended to the garden patio, purple smoke surrounding her again as she shifted back into her human form. Aurora was waiting for her, arms outstretched for a hug which her daughter happily took advantage of. 

“Lonnie told me everything, honey…. I’m so sorry,” she murmured, gently stroking Mal’s hair. “You’re just in time for tea. Why don’t we have some cookies and you can vent for a bit?”

Mal nodded and lightly squeezed before pulling away. “Sounds good…. Where’s Dad?”

Fortunately for Ben, he’s out for a ride. If he’d been here when Lonnie called, we might’ve had treason on our hands,” Aurora chuckled, only half joking. Phillip was very protective of their daughter and had only just started to truly trust Ben with her heart. Goodness only knows what he would do when he heard the news.

They moved inside and Mal immediately sank her teeth into a chocolate chip cookie. “Mmmm, Fauna’s getting better.” She recognized the burnt and overly sweet baking of the green fairy. She really tried her best and all in all it wasn’t so bad. It was always nice to see an improvement.

“Indeed she is.” Aurora poured tea for both of them, putting extra sugar in Mal’s cup. “She’s been on one of those online forums and she says she picked up some tricks and recipes.”

The two ladies sat in silence for a while, sipping tea and enjoying the cookies. Eventually, Mal set down her empty cup and sighed. “He said he realized what we had wasn’t  _ true love _ . And apparently he found that with  _ her _ in 48 hours.” Her voice dropped to a low growl, eyes flashing green for just a moment. “Evelyn Grimhilde…. Evie. Princess, daughter of the Evil Queen, and now Ben’s true love….”

Aurora reached over and squeezed her hand. “Mallory…. You can’t help what other people do. I know you love Ben and I find it hard to believe Ben never loved you. Maybe he has true love with Evie; maybe he doesn’t. It does seem very strange for him to just drop this on you out of the blue, especially right before the homecoming performance….”

Mal sat back in her chair and sighed, all the fight gone. “Ben never does anything without thinking. Something must’ve happened…. It doesn’t matter. He sang her a song and apparently everyone was completely okay with it.”

The princess abruptly stood, giving her mother a hug before walking out to the patio. “I’m going to go find Dad. I want to tell him about it before he hears from someone else; I’d like to talk him down before he does something drastic.”

Aurora nodded and waved her off. “Good luck; you know how he can be sometimes.”

Mal just smiled and headed for the stables. Phillip was very protective of his daughter, borderline overbearing. It was sweet but sometimes it meant he blew things out of proportion when it came to her. Normally, if she told him to stand down then he would but not even that worked every time. She was pretty sure Aziz still had flashbacks to the time he snapped her bra in sixth grade….

As expected, Phillip had just returned from his ride and was brushing Samson’s mane. He couldn’t ride much these days but he was well cared for in the family stables. She approached carefully, not wanting to disturb the moment between the two long-time friends.

“Ah, Mal,” Phillip greeted, beckoning her closer. “I saw you flying out there. Bad game?”

Mal bit her lip and sat next to him. “Not exactly. We won and halftime went perfectly but….Benbrokeupwithmepleasedon’tkillhim.”

Almost immediately, the brush stops moving and Phillip’s smile tightens. “Is that what happened? Did he perhaps provide a  _ valid _ reason for why he would do such a dangerous 

thing?”   
  


Mal shrugged and leaned on his shoulder. “He said that what we had wasn’t ‘true love’. He apparently found it with one of the vks and he seems….happy.”

Samson huffed and nudged Mal’s hand. She smiled, patting his head. The old horse had been a friend to her in her younger years, like a cool uncle the let her jump over fences and other things that made her mother faint. “I know, Sammy. I think it’s dumb too.”

She turned to Phillip and kissed his cheek. “Please don’t do anything stupid. I don’t need you to beat up Ben; I just need you to hug me and tell me I’m great and he’s stupid.”

Phillip sighed and hugged her. “If you’re sure that’s what you want, then I’ll do it. You will let me know if you change your mind, right?”

Mal chuckled and lightly punched his shoulder. “Will do. Come on; Mom’s probably waiting to call the police to stop you,” she joked, standing and giving Samson one last pat before they left.

——————————————————————

Later that evening, Jay, Carlos, Evie, and Audrey were all sitting around their plotting table in the boys’ room. None of them were saying anything, all a bit drained from the earlier events. 

Any euphoria Evie had from having the future King serenade her in front of the school had vanished, replaced by a huge pit of guilt. She’d seen Mal run off and Audrey told her about the last minute cheer lineup change. Ben told her after, when they were alone, that whatever he’d felt for Mal didn’t compare to what he now felt for Evie. That was what broke the spell for her. She knew the potion was meant to replicate True Love, but she’d seen how Ben and Mal were before and in the end, no potion could really compare. They’d be going on a date tomorrow, to get to know each other better before he introduced her to his parents. She just had to make it through the lie a few more days.

Carlos was counting the number of ways something could go wrong. Ben could break out of the spell. Chad could break out. Mal could attack. The wand may not be at the coronation. They could piss off the wrong person at Family Day. So very many things that could go wrong in just a few days. So very many things that he very much wanted to avoid by not even going through with this stupid plan. Nothing about this plan was going to work out for him unless they just didn’t do it. But if they didn’t go through with the plan…. Wouldn’t that make them traitors? They were the only hope for the people of the Isle. They had to do this. 

Jay was sulking. He had this sinking feeling in his gut. Sure, he was happy they won the game and that this part of the plan had gone off without a hitch. But….he’d had fun at the game, fun with the  _ team _ . A team he wouldn’t be allowed to play on if they went through with this. But if they didn’t, their parents wouldn’t be happy. Far from it, actually. They were screwed.

Audrey bit her lip, eyes flitting between her friends. She had a feeling they were all thinking the same thing: none of them want to go through with this. She also had a feeling none of them were going to admit it. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. “We have a few days until we have to do this. Why don’t we spend that time finding a new hideout? We’ll need it once our parents come over.”

There was a collective nod among the group but still no words. Audrey sighs and stands up, leaning on the table. “Look, guys…. This is for the better. I know we’ve gotten comfortable here but…what about everyone else on the Isle? This way...they can be free. And have ice cream and sunlight and-”

“You sound like a hero now,” Jay interjected, picking at a scratch on the table. “And no one said anything about getting comfortable-”

“Oh, come off it Jay!” Carlos stood abruptly, nearly knocking his chair over. “You know how much you enjoyed the game today. You didn’t even push Chad! And I’m actually enjoying being here and learning things and having help with my inventions! And we all know Evie’s a princess and she never belonged on the Isle in the first place! Then there’s Audrey and she’s probably doing the best out of all of us!” 

The other three stared at Carlos, surprised at his outburst. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “I know, I know, it’s crazy but…. Audrey is right. Not everyone on the Isle was a piece of shit, not even all of the adults. They all deserve the basics, right?”

Evie patted his hand and glared at Jay before he could say anything. “You’re right Carlos. We’re just going to need a backup plan. Our parents aren’t exactly thinking about the rest of the Isle….”

Audrey nodded. “We can claim a small castle and make it a safe house. I’m sure Mom will go back to ignoring me once she’s over so I could probably pull it off.”

“Let’s not get too ahead on this,” Jay cut in. He held his hand up to Evie to stop her speech. “I know, I know, but we don’t have time and frankly, Idon’t have the energy for the bleeding heart routine. Look, let’s just get to the coronation and cross that bridge when we get there, okay?”

The rest of the group reluctantly nodded. There was no point in talking more about it now. It was almost curfew for the girls and everyone was drained as it was. With their goodnights said, everyone went to bed, hoping for sleep for the next day.


	9. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audrey and Evie have their dates. Will they be able to handle Auradon romance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIIIIIVEEE! I know it's been a while since I updated but school and other fanfic obligations got in the way. Enjoy the new chapter!

Audrey woke up to Evie dashing around their room. Clothes were everywhere, her hair was in curlers, and her makeup was just sitting out on the counter, unused. “E? What’s going on?”

Evie stopped in her tracks and stared at her blankly. “What’s going on? I have a date with the KING OF AURADON in five hours!!! That’s what’s going on!”

Audrey put her hands up in surrender and got out of bed. “Okay, okay….” She stepped through the mess to her own closet, resigning herself to missing her morning shower with Evie taking up the entire bathroom. “Want me to grab breakfast for us?”

“Are you insane??? I can’t eat at a time like this! I still have to pick an outfit and my make up and I have no idea what I’m doing with my ha-”

“E!” Audrey grabbed her shoulders and forced her to sit. “Relax! You’re gonna give me a panic attack! Just breeeatheee, okay?”

Evie nodded and tried to calm down. “I know, I know. I just…. This is my mother’s dream and I really don’t want to screw this up.”

Audrey hugged her and smoothed some of her stray hairs. “You won’t. I know you won’t. You’re the best at this kind of thing and Ben would fall for you even without the spell like this. Just try not to freak out and you’ll be fine. Okay?”

Evie nodded and smiled weakly. “Yeah, I know…. Hey, don’t you have something with Chad today?”

Audrey shrugged. “I think so? He wasn’t super clear about it so I guess we’ll just have to see. But first: breakfast.”

“Audrey, I-”

“Need to eat something or your stomach’s gonna be growling like my dad’s hellhound. I’m going and bringing you back a plate which you are going to eat if I have to force you. Okay?”

“....Fine.”

\-------------------------------------------------

Jay woke up with a groan, tossing his pillow at Carlos’ music player. “I hate you and your music sucks.”

Carlos rolled his eyes. “Hey, at least I can enjoy more than grunge rock.”

“Would it kill you to use headphones?”

“For all you know, it might.”

Jay stuck his tongue out at him and got out of bed. “Why are you up so early anyway? Class isn’t for another hour.”

“I want to get some more work done on this thing while I have the chance.” He held up the laptop he salvaged a few months ago. “I finally have some of the more delicate parts and I’m not waiting for mother dearest to break it again.”

Jay huffed and got up. “Look, C, about last night-”

“What about it? You don’t want to admit that you like it here.”

“C-”

“You also don’t want to admit that you like playing on a team.”

“Let me talk?!”

Carlos shrugged and motioned for him to go ahead. “Thanks. Look, I just…. You’re right. I do like it here. But I also don’t want our parents to fuck it up.”

“So you don’t want to go through with it?”

“Well….” He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “No. I mean, they’re right. The other kids deserve freedom too but…. It’s not like there’s a way we could just let the kids go.” He paused and waited for Carlos’ reaction. There was none. “This is the part where you say ‘actually, there is a way’ ad we have a good time.”

Carlos shrugged. “Sorry to disappoint you but there’s not much I can do. I know how to break through the barrier but not in a way that won’t let out everyone.”

“I was afraid you would say that….”

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Jay kept trying (and failing) to figure out a way to get only the kids off the Isle and leave the adults to rot. Evie kept freaking out about all the different ways her date with Ben could go wrong. Audrey kept tiptoeing around Mal. Carlos was just trying to fix his laptop before everything went wrong.

When Audrey left cheer practice, she was greeted by a carriage shaped like a pumpkin. An impractical shape as it was small but it was surprisingly cushioned as she learned when Chad all but shoved her in it. It wasn’t very comfortable and definitely only meant for one person as there was no way to get a comfortable distance away from Chad but she said nothing. Where ever this was going, it looked like he put a lot of effort into it.

“I have the best day planned! I hope you like horses.”

Audrey had never been near a horse in her life and when she saw how big they were, she vastly preferred to be away from them. BUt Chad seemed intent on getting her on one of those death traps so she complied, clutching the reins so tight her knuckles were whiter than snow white’s fair skin.

They rode down a small path in the woods, Chad somehow not noticing that Audrey very much wanted to get down as he rambled on and on about his family history.  _ Why me? _ She wondered to herself. Being trapped by paparazzi couldn’t possibly be as bad as being way to high off the ground on a potentially dangerous animal and heading towards evil knows where on the footpath of death!

After far, far, too long off the nice solid ground, they eventually reached their destination. Chad helped her down and led her onto an old platform made to look like Greek ruins in the middle of a lake. “I put together a picnic date for us! And when we’re done eating, we can go for a swim!” 

"...Yay….." She couldn't swim, didn't bring any swim clothes, and she was terrified of water. This would go well.

The picnic itself was fine and Audrey tried to make it last. She just kept asking him questions about himself and let him ramble, munching on the finger sandwiches and candy bars provided. She smiled as the sun began to set, praying this meant they could go now. It seemed her wish would come true when Chad looked up and saw the sun. "Guess if we're going swimming, we should go now," he commented, standing and shedding his vest.

_ Fuck _

"Oh, you know what, I'm not a good swimmer. I should just stay here and watch." She scooted towards the middle of the platform, watching the water anxiously.

Chad chuckled and grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. “Come on, it’ll be fun! Maybe I can teach you some moves.”

“N-No! I-I’m okay, really.” She wrenched her arm away. “I think we should go now.”

“Come on! I thought you Isle girls were a little more wild.” He grabbed her and pulled her back towards the water. “Come on, just really quick. We don’t even have to change!”

“I’d really rather  _ not _ . Please, just let me g- OOOOO!!!” Before she even got the word out, he pulled her into the water. The force of the surface tension pushed them apart and she flailed. She couldn’t swim, never wanted to learn with all the sharks in the water. Her mother’s favorite punishment was to dunk her in a large tub of water until she nearly passed out, reminding her she was weak and useless. Audrey flailed and sank deeper. Black curled around the edges of her vision as she fought for the surface.

Suddenly, she was pulled onto the stone platform. Gasping and shaking, she coughed up the water and shakily got to her feet. With as much strength as she could muster, she slapped Charming across the face. “What the fuck was that?!”

Chad sputtered and wiped his face. “What?”

“ _ What _ ? That’s all you have to say?! I told you I didn’t want to go in and you pulled me in anyway?! The fuck man?! I cannot believe I actually came out here with you!” She pushed past him and marched back to the land.

Chad ran to catch up with her. “Look, I’m sorry I messed this up. I just...wanted to show you a nice time and a lake date never fails.”

“Well, they fail for people who can’t swim,” she snapped.

“Look, I’m sorry! Let me make it up to y-”

“NO, Chad. I’m going back and you can leave me alone!”  _ Never trust a hero…. _   
  


\----------------------------------------------------

While all that was going on, Evie was having a positively lovely time out with Ben. He’d set up a nice little candle-lit dinner in the rose garden. She hummed softly as Ben fed her yet another truffle. “Mmmm, delicious….”

“I’m glad you like it.” Ben smiled and wiped off the corner of her mouth. “You know, I never thought opening the barrier would open my heart.”

Evie blushed and giggled. “Ben…. You’re too sweet.” She ignored the nudge in the back of her mind, telling her to stop and confess, that this was wrong. She needed to do this. Get to the coronation, get to the wand. For the VK’s sake.

\----------------------------------------------------

Evie came back to their dorm with a smile on her face and a skip in her step. Audrey was coming out of the shower with a decidely sour expression on her face, mumbling to herself as she dried off. “I take it your date went better than mine,” she muttered, wringing out her hair.

Evie sighed and nodded. “Ben was positively dreamy. He was such a gentleman and charming and just….perfect.” She sighed and sat down at her vanity. “He gave me his ring to wear. I feel like a real princess!”

Audrey smiled softly and leaned down to hug her. “Well, Chad almost drowned me and I learned I hate horses. I’m glad you had a good time.”

Evie frowned and patted her back. “Auds…. Are you okay?”

Audrey nodded. “Yeah. Not like I haven’t had worse. It was just a stupid date anyway. At least I don’t have to worry about meeting his parents tomorrow….”

Evie froze as she reached for her hairbrush. “Tomorrow? What’s tomorrow?”

“Family Day. Remember, Fairy Godmother told us about it?”

Evie stared at her with panicked eyes. “I’m going to meet the KIng and Queen of Auradon tomorrow?!”

“I...I think we all are, E.” Audrey put her hands on her shoulders to calm her. “You’re going to be fine. You’re a perfect princess and you’ve been a model student. They have no reason to hate you.”

You’re right….” Evie nodded weakly. “I just have to remember what Mother taught me and I’ll be fine….”


	10. Family Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family Day is here and the VKs need to navigate both planned and unforeseen obstacles. Will everyone survive? And how will this impact their plans for the future|?

Family Day had arrived and even our VKs were excited since they got to miss classes for the day. Well, all the VKs except Evie, who was on the verge of a mental breakdown as she continued to turn her and Audrey’s dorm into a natural disaster aftermath photo.

Audrey snuck out of their room to avoid Evie’s latest indecision rant and ran to the boys’ dorm for help. “I’ve never seen her this nervous about a guy before,” she commented, munching on a breakfast muffin.

“Well, it is the king of Auradon,” Jay countered, pulling his hair back into a braid. “I’m sure once we get there she’ll be completely fine.”

“She’ll act completely fine you mean,” Carlos corrected, putting his laptop aside for the day. “So, what’s the game plan?”

“Get in, convince them we’re not evil, get out.” Jay said, getting up to find a good leather jacket.

“So basically what we’ve been doing this whole time.” Audrey sighed and grabbed one of Carlos’ chocolates. “Let’s try to fly under the radar? Evie’s got enough pressure on her already and we don’t need to make it worse.”

\-----------------------------------------------

Mal took a deep breath and double checked herself in the mirror. This was the first time she would be purposefully seeing Ben since the breakup. She had this. Right?

Lonnie hugged her and smiled at their reflection. “You look great. Come on, we don’t want to be late.”

Mal shrugged and grabbed her purse. “I just don’t know Lonnie. What if it’s too soon?”

“Look, all you have to do is the number we’ve rehearsed a billion times and then you can avoid him for the rest of the day. And I’ll be right there with you, okay?”

Mal sighed and headed out the door. “You’re right. I hope. I just hope we don’t have a repeat of last year.”

Lonnie winced and shivered. “Yeah, me too.”

\-----------------------------------------------

Ben sighed as Belle straightened his tie for what was probably the billionth time. “Mom, it’s fine. I look fine. It’s just another day with the public. At my school. Where no one really cares how nice my tie is because they all saw me streak on my fifth birthday.”

Belle sighed and giggled. “They certainly won’t forget if you keep bringing it up. Let a mother fuss Ben.”

“Oh, speaking of fussing, I want you to meet my new girlfriend later. She’s-”

“New girlfriend?” Beast interjected. “What happened with Mal?”

“Oh, we broke up,” Ben explained nonchalantly. “I just met someone else and felt true love. She understands.”

The King and Queen shared a look but didn’t object. Today needed to go perfect; they could fight behind closed doors. “If you say so dear,” Belle replied with a tight smile. “Why don’t you introduce us after the opening number? I’m sure she’s just lovely….”

\-----------------------------------------------------

Evie, Audrey, Jay, and Carlos slipped into the back of the crowd of the event, praying they weren’t late. It had taken them a while to convince Evie she did in fact look just fine and didn’t need another five minutes in front of the mirror. None of them could blame her for being worried of course but eventually even Evie had to admit she needed to calm down a tiny bit. 

They made their way over to the buffet tables and enjoyed the mostly untouched food and drinks while the Welcoming Song played. All four cringed when the embarrassing rap started and for once, Evie didn’t want Ben to look at her. 

When the horror was finally over, the bluenette made her way over to Ben with a smile. “Ben...You have a nice voice,” she managed, kissing his cheek.”

“I’m glad you liked it! Come on, I want you to meet my parents.” He walked her over to the King and Queen for introductions. “Mom, Dad, this is Evie.”

She smiled and curtsied. “It’s an honor to meet you too. I can see where Ben got his good looks,” she giggled.

“It’s nice to meet you Evie,” Belle greeted politely, shaking her hand. “Would you like to join us for tea later? MY husband and I are just anxious to learn more about you.”

“Oh, I’d love to! May I bring my friends too?” She gestured over to the other three VKs, who were enjoying the chocolate fountain. Audrey waved back as Jay and Carlos tried to eat directly from the fountain.

“Of course….Any friend of Ben’s is a friend of ours….”

\---------------------------------------

Evie informed them of their royal invitation before she was dragged away for more introductions. None of them were particularly excited about it but it wouldn’t look good not to show so they decided just to mingle and try to brush up on their manners.

For Carlos, that meant hiding near the snack table and trying not to be noticed. A plan that failed pretty miserably within five minutes. “Excuse me. Are you Carlos De Vil?”

“Yes. Why?” He turned to the newcomer and gulped. He recognized that face; Cruella had more pictures of Anita than she did of her furs.  _ Why me? Why now? _

Anita Radcliffe smiled gently and held out her hand in greeting. “My name is Anita. I don’t have a student here but I heard you were coming and I thought I’d drop by and meet you.”

Carlos bit his lip and kept his eyes on the sweets. “Not to be rude but…. Why?”

“Well…. I’m not sure if your mother ever mentioned me but we were friends once upon a time. I never felt good about her sentence on the Isle. She really just needed help, not jail.” She sighed softly and stepped closer to him. “You didn’t need all that either. If you ever want to talk, I run a practice in town. My door’s always open.” She handed him her card and waved before walking off to join the party.

Carlos stared at the little card in his hand before pocketing it for later. He didn’t need to think about what just happened right now. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

Jay poured out a punch for him and Carlos and found both of them spilled over his shirt. “What the-”

“Oh, my apologies! I didn’t realize anyone was standing behind me. Let me help you with that.” Someone handed him napkins with a very pretty hand decked out with rings.

He looked up and came face to face with his father’s old obsession. “S-Sultana Jasmine? Wh-What are you doing here?” This could not end well.

She chuckled and dabbed away some of the punch. “I’m here to see my son, of course. Aziz, the theater and sport star. Quite the tourney player if you believe the hilight reels.” She gestured across the quad to a tall boy who was excitedly chatting with who must’ve been his father.

“And you must be one of the new transfers. Jay, right?” She held out her hand in greeting. “Sorry about the mess. Are you alright?”

Jay shook himself out of his trance and shut his jaw. “Uh, yeah, that’s me. I-I’m good. Just...didn’t expect to run into you is all. Or your husband.”

Jasmine smiled kindly. “You were worried about running into us? I shouldn’t be surprised. Jafar didn’t exactly think highly of us all those years ago and I doubt his opinion changed in the past twenty years.” She sighed softly. “Well, some of us won’t let go of the past. I’m actually glad I ran into you before Aladdin did. He’s...still got some open wounds.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Jay muttered, looking back over at the father-son pair. “At least Aziz seems to like me a bit. We haven’t had any problems. So far at least….”

“Well, that’s good at least. And...I’m sure Aladdin will come around. You’re not your father, after all.”

Jay chuckled. “Yeah. Dad always said I was more of a street rat than a visier. Had to be to survive on the Isle. Not that he ever really complained. Someone had to stock the shelves, right?” he joked, not noticing how Jasmine’s face fell.

“Things really were that bad over there, weren’t they?” she asked quietly, gently touching his arm in comfort.

Jay pulled away instinctively and tried to ignore the hurt look on her face. “Uh…. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly palace life,” he murmured, turning back to the buffet.

Jasmine bit her lip, looking back at Aladdin before moving closer. “Jay…. If you can find it in your heart to forgive us for letting Adam run wild with his Isle...Agrahbah will welcome you.” She left before he could say anything in return, joining her boys.

Jay stared after her, unsure of what exactly just happened or what he should do about it. 

\------------------------------------------

Audrey walked away from the buffet tables with a selection of snacks piled on a small plate, none of which she’d seen before, not even on television. She found a small table and dug in, moaning softly from the tasty treats.

She wasn’t left alone for long as Lonnie and Mal made their way over. “Hey, do you mind if we join you? Every other seat is taken and we don’t need to be around our parents’ embarrassing stories,” Lonnie giggled as they set their plates down.

“Oh, sure, not a problem.” She slowed to a more reasonable eating pace. “So...all your parents are here?”

“Oh yeah, pretty much all the parents show up. It’s their chance to be proud of us and also embarrass us.”

Mal nudged Lonnie softly. “Hey, they don’t mean to. Well, I don’t think they do anyway.” She chuckled softly. “I’m just glad Dad is staying away from Ben. I really don’t need a repeat of the Aziz incident….”

Audrey tilted her head curiously. “Not to pry but...what incident? And why does your dad need to stay away from Ben?”

Mal shook her head. “It’s a long story. My dad’s just very protective of me and he doesn’t react well to boys making me cry.”

“Oh…. I guess after the breakup he’s not a huge fan of the future king,” she murmured, eyes cast back down to her plate.

The girls engaged in idle small talk while they ate. Lonnie went off to save her brother from more embarrassing stories and it was just Audrey and Mal. The purplette bit her lip and moved closer to Audrey.

"I...hope you don't mind me asking but…. What's Evie like?"

Audrey met her eyes, frowning slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Like with her boyfriends? Is she nice?"

Audrey shrugged. "Hard to say. She's never really been with anyone seriously before. But when she really cares about someone, she's...she's really sweet." She smiled fondly at memories of the two of them making their way through the Isle. 

Mal nodded. “Good. I don’t want Ben to be in trouble.”

There was a moment of awkward silence before Mal was called away by her mother. Despite the breakup, the family still planned on attending the private tea that would follow the main event. They could only hope awkward tensions would be the worst of it.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Audrey, Jay, and Carlos stood to the side while Ben and Evie played a game of croquet with the parents. Audrey mentioned her strange conversation with Mal to the others before they’d arrived and now they were even more on edge. None of them had planned on outside interference and they hoped Mal was willing to let things lie.

Unseen by anyone, an uninvited party slipped in. Keeping to the edges as to remain unnoticed, cold eyes narrowed at the presence of the Evil Queen’s daughter at the side of the future king. Jaw clenched at the presence of the other VKs. Knuckles turned white with rage at the sight of a former family.  _ Today. The charade must end today! _

Audrey walked over to the tea tables to grab snacks for her friends. A shadow loomed behind her, one that was familiar in darkness if not in shape. “Sorry, am I in the way?” She turned to see the former Queen of Auroria.

“Not currently,” Leah replied with a poisonous smile. “You’re Audrey, aren’t you?” she asked politely, dots connecting in her mind. “How is dear old Maleficent? Still an evil fairy?”

Audrey swallowed hard, eyes scanning for any back up at all. “W-Well, yes…. Twenty years in prison hasn’t helped her attitude,” she murmured, praying for a way out.

“Well, clearly that hasn’t been passed to you. Were it not for the scar I would’ve thought you were a real princess!” Leah cackled, pouring a cup of tea. “More of a princess than my failure of a granddaughter is anyhow. The mad girl never could sort out the voices in her head.”

Phillip’s ears perked at the sound of an all too familiar laugh. Mal had heard it too and her grip on his arm tightened. “I thought there were guards,” she hissed, eyes flashing dangerously.

“She’s slippery,” Aurora murmured, waving to get the attention of Queen Belle. “She won’t touch you Mal, I promise.”

Evie and Ben noticed the commotion as well as Jay and Carlos. The four slowly moved closer, each analysing the situation in their own way, trying to figure out what to do next. Audrey tried moving away but Leah firmly gripped her wrist, pulling her closer. “You know, I always suspected Mal was a fake. But now that you’re here, I have proof!”

“Wh-What are you talking about? Let go of me please.” She yanked her arm away and Jay was at her back in an instant, silently checking if she was okay.

Phillip stormed up to Leah, tapping ehr shoulder gently. “You aren’t supposed to be here,” he growled as multiple guards appeared in the garden clearing.

“I’m banned from the school, not the castle,” Leah tutted. “Besides, when else was I going to see my real granddaughter?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You truly are an idiot if you haven’t figured it out already. Audrey may be soiled by evil but at least she’s not a half-breed.”

Phillip’s eyes burned as the guards surrounded them. “I don’t know what you mean by that but this has gone on too long. You’ll be put on castle-arrest for sure this time.” 

Leah huffed as she was cuffed and led away. “You’ll see what I mean soon. With both of them here, it can’t be kept secret!”."

Phillip growled as she was pulled away. "You'll see!" She taunted. "It won't stay hidden with both of them here!"

Phillip took a calming breath before turning to the shaken VK. "I'm sorry about her. She never should've gotten in but…. She won't bother you again."

Audrey nodded, eyes glued to the ground as the King stepped closer. "She may hate you but we don't," he said softly. "We share Ben's wish to move on from the past. Well, Aurora more than me but she was asleep for most of Maleficent's transgressions," he chuckled.

Jay glared at him, stepping between the two. Taking a deep breath to give Phillip what-for for daring to speak to Audrey while she was clearly in distress, her hand landed on his arm. "You're very kind," she murmured, pulling Jay back. "Excuse us…." She pulled him away and Evie and Carlos rushed to meet them, checking to make sure Audrey was okay.

Mal and Aurora bid their leave early. Even if she hadn't had a direct encounter, Leah's words left Mal shaken to the core. 

Evie made excuses for her friends needing to leave. The other's made her stay behind to keep up appearances but her mind kept wandering away from her date to Audrey. Praying her friend was okay, she tried to focus on her mother's teachings and looking like a future queen. 

None of them had expected this. One could only hope they would all recover for the Coronation. A big day for all, nothing could go wrong.


	11. The Blood of an Oath is thicker than the Water of the Womb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The coronation is here. A lot is riding on today for everyone in our story. How will it all unfold?

Evie finished the final touches on her coronation dress, sighing as she set down her needle. “There, perfect.”

Audrey shook her head and dragged her away from the work station. “Finally. Come on, you need to sleep. Tomorrow’s the big day.” The day Ben was to be crowned king, the day they would steal the wand, the day the barrier would come down, freeing the people of the Isle.

Evie nodded and yawned. “Yeah, I know. Do you think we’re ready?”

“Pretty sure. Carlos found a safe house for us and the other kids who want to come and Jay skipped practice to go down and put some protection wards on it. Are you ready to steal the wand?”

Evie hesitated, then pulled a small vial out of her nightstand. “I made this. For Ben. It’s an antidote. I...I was thinking about giving it to him before the ceremony.”

“E….” Audrey sat down next to her. “Why? I thought you two were having a good time.”

Evie shook her head. “We are but...it’s not real. Tricking someone into loving me was my mother’s dream, not mine.” She sighed and set down the vial. “It just seems extra cruel for Ben to lose his home and still not remember his true love.”

Audrey nodded, squeezing her hand. “Just….be careful. A lot is riding on this.”

\--------------------------------

Ben smiled at Evie as she approached their carriage the next morning. “Are you ready for this?”

Evie smiled nervously. “I think so. Took me forever to finish this dress….”

“It looks perfect on you. Fit for a queen,” Ben complimented, kissing her hand for the cameras.

Oh, if only that light behind his eyes was real. Evie’s hand brushed against the bottle in her pocket. To anyone else, it looked like a regular perfume bottle. In reality, it held the antidote for Ben’s love spell. She just needed to spritz him and it’d be over. Ben would finish the ceremony with dignity and she’d be quietly punished later. She’d say it was all her idea and the others had nothing to do with it; at least if she got sent back to the Isle it’d only be her.

He helped her into the carriage and the two were on their way, part of a small parade that basically went from the back of the castle to a nearby chapel. The whole ride she kept thinking:  _ This is it. This is the moment. Just one little spray and it’s all over. _ But she couldn’t. Maybe a small part of her still wanted the fantasy, maybe she just wasn’t enough fo a hero. By the time she got the courage up to try, they were already there. She could do it after, she told herself. It’d be better that why; more privacy.

She kindly greeted his parents before being led away to her seat by the royal guards. Ben sighed as he watched her go, barely even noticing as Mal arrived. “Well, here we are. I’m officially king today.”

Beast nodded and patted his shoulder. “We’re proud of you, son.”

“You’ll be a fine king,” his mother chimed in.

\--------------------------------------------------

Audrey, Jay, and Carlos watched from the balcony seats they’d been given as Evie entered the room. She stood at the front, head held high as she snuck them a wave. They all waved back before sitting back in their seats. No one else was in their box so they could discuss the plan freely. “So, Evie grabs the wand, then we run down there and help her get out. Jay knocks out the limo driver and Carlos drives us home. Evie takes down the barrier, everyone is free, and our parents don’t kill us,” Audrey recounted.

“That’s the plan,” Jay muttered, leaning back in his seat. “Think we can pull it off?”

“We’re ready,” Carlos nodded, looking back at the crowd. He thought he saw someone slipping in from the side but there were so many people it was hard to tell.

\---------------------------------------

Cruella, Jafar, The Evil Queen, and Maleficent all crowded around the small television set in the Bargain Castle. The Evil Queen was going on and on about how beautiful her daughter looked, how queen-like and regal, while the others weren’t even pretending to pay attention. Maleficent sat closer than the rest, looking for one face in particular. A face framed by purple hair, with brilliant green eyes. The face of her own daughter sitting next to her former enemy gave her small bit of pride, knowing how much she could do with so little magic. Still, it wasn’t enough. If those kids didn’t screw this up, she would have her revenge on that Sleeping Bitch.

When Fairy Godmother revealed the wand, Maleficent sat even closer to the screen. “I want that wand. I  _ need _ that wand!” she yelled, reaching for her scepter. “Today is our day, villains!”

\-------------------------------------

The doors opened and Ben entered the room, signalling the start of the ceremony. He walked slowly, hoping everyone would excuse his nerves for regality. No matter how confident he acted, he was certain he would never really be ready to be king. He winked at Evie as he passed, happy she was there for him.

As he approached the stand, Fairy Godmother stood tall, holding the king’s crown. “Prince Benjamin,” she began, and a hush came over the room. “Do you promise to uphold the values of the Kingdom fo Auradon, and use your powers for the betterment of out people?”

“I do.”

Smiling, she set the crown upon his head, jewels glittering in the light. She picked up her wand and tapped him once on each shoulder. “And now, I proclaim you-”

Her sentence was interrupted when the wand was grabbed from her hand. Everyone gasped at the hooded figure that stood in the center of attention. The VKs all shared a confused look, wondering who else had been planning something. 

The figure took off her hood, cackling as she held the wand high. “You really should improve your security, Adam. You have so many guards,” Leah tutted. She turned to Mal, beckoning her closer. “Come now, darling. Let’s show everyone what you really are!”

“Leah, that’s enough!” Fairy Godmother moved toward her only to be stopped by Ben. 

“She has no powers,” he whispered. “Let me handle this.” He carefully stepped toward her. “Leah, you need to stop with this delusion. Mal isn’t of fae blood. You were there for the birth, surely you know that.”

“Then how do you explain the powers? The hair? Her eyes?! She looks nothing like my daughter!” She screamed, waving the wand about.

“I don’t know. Maybe Maleficent’s magic had a residual effect. The point is, this has gone on for too long. You tried to poison her already; what more could you do?”

“Simple,” Leah scoffed. “If a dark fae were to try and use this wand, it would fail and have a horrible reaction. Just a simple test. If nothing happens, I’ll leave you all alone, fair?”

Mal took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Leah, you’re just as crazy now as you were when we first caught you sneaking silver into my food. But if it’ll cure your little delusion, I’ll do it,” she offered, standing defiantly in front of her tormentor. 

“Mal, you don’t have to do this. I can handle this.”

“Yes, I do Ben. Nothing will stop her faster than proving her wrong.” Mal walked closer to the pair. In the background, the four VKs met near the door, whispering about what to do next. Should one of them grab the wand first? Or should the wait and see what happened?

The question was answered for them as Mal’s hand closed around the wand. Almost as soon as she pulled it from Leah’s grip, it sparked to life- literally. The crowd ducked as Mal tried to gain control of it but the dark magic within her had gone ignored for too long; it wanted out and if the only way to do that was through destruction then so be it. Green streaked through the air and punched a large hole in the barrier, allowing magic onto the Isle once more.

\-----------------------------------------------

Maleficent cackled as magic flowed through ehr veins once more. She called upon her crow, Diablo, and made for Auradon, eager for the family reunion. “LONG LIVE EVIL!!!!”

\------------------------------------------

“HA! See, I told you! But none of you ever wanted to believe me!” Leah cackled as the rest of the room tried to process what had just happened.

Mal tossed the wand away from her like it was a snake and turned back to her parents, looking drained yet somehow more alive than she ever had. “Wh-What just happened? What does this mean???”

Aurora hugged her tightly. “Don’t worry, Mal. We’ll figure this out together. We always have.”

Seeing and opportunity, Audrey raced for the wand, hoping to grab it before-

“Hello, darling daughter of mine.”

_ Too late…. _

Maleficent towered over her, holding the wand and scepter in each hand as Diablo landed on her shoulder. “I should’ve expected my daughter to be the only one capable of fulfilling my wishes, even if she didn’t know what she was doing. My nasty little girl,” Maleficent cooed, stepping past Audrey towards Mal.

Audrey hung her head, feeling defeated (not unusual for her really) while the other VKs joined her. “Mother I-,”

“Silence, brat!” the fae thundered, whipping around and jabbing her scepter at Audrey’s throat. “You’ve caused nothing but trouble since I brought you to the Isle. What, with you being all  _ nice  _ and  _ kind _ to everyone, my reputation was nearly in shatters. It almost wasn’t worth stealing away a second generation of royal blood!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Come now,  _ princess _ , don’t tell me you’re that stupid. Do you really think someone as great as I would produce such a useless offspring?”

Both Ben and Phillip made use of her distraction to try to attack. But they underestimated her. She slammed her scepter against the ground, creating a sleeping spell that affected everyone but Mal and the VKs. “As I was saying,” she continued as the smoke cleared, “Mallory here is my biological child. You two happened to be born on the same day, mere minutes apart. At the same time, Fairy Godmother had fallen ill, leaving the barrier weakened and allowing just enough magic through for me to switch you around. Thus, Princess Audrey, heir to the throne of Auroria, grew up in trash and evil while the daughter of the Mistress of Evil myself was having the time of her life among the royals. I really just wanted to remind Auradon that no one could hold me but you were all too  _ stupid _ to catch on. If I didn’t get a kick out of kicking the daughter of the sleeping bitch, I’d say it wasn’t worth it.”

Both Mal and Audrey stood still in shock, trying to process what they’d just heard. Their entire lives had been a lie, all because one little fairy couldn’t let go of the past? What was the point of everything then? Mal’s panic attacks, Audrey’s scars, everything they’d ever said or done, all because of one malevolent fae?

Mal’s eyes suddenly flashed a brilliant green. “You have no right to call me your daughter! You just handed me off to someone else for some wacky punishment?! You’re more insane than Cruella!” She held out her hand and focused her will. “I command the scepter to my hand!”

The look of shock on Maleficent’s face was more than worth the drain to took to fetch the weapon. Mal stood tall and held it proudly. “Is this what you wanted,  _ Mother _ ? All going to plan?”

Maleficent laughing was probably not the reaction Mal expected but it’s what she got. “Seeing my own daughter, a phony raised in the land of goodness, hold my scepter so well? Not exactly according to plan but I like it.” She stepped closer. “Think of it, Mal. With our powers combined, we can rule Auradon together! Surely it hasn’t been easy for you here. We can get revenge on all who ever hurt you! Join me!” she proclaimed, holding her hand out for Mal to take.

The princess shook her head. “No. I’m not evil; I’m not you. Yes I’ve been hurt but I’ve also moved on. I will never join you!”

Audrey gulped and tried to shield her friends. She knew all too well what happened when Maleficent didn’t get her way. “Go, run, hide somewhere,” she whispered. “I’ll help Mal?”

“How?” Jay retorted. “You don’t even have powers!”

“Maybe not, but I know her. I know her weaknesses. Just...trust me, okay?”

“We’re not leaving you, Auds,” Evie insisted. “We’ll fight with you, always.”

Audrey looked between her three friends and sighed. “Okay. I need you guys to distract Maleficent while I talk to Mal. I have an idea. Promise me you’ll stay safe?”

“Promise.”

“Let’s go then.”

Behind them, Maleficent was hardly able to contain her rage. “You owe EVERYTHING to me, you ungrateful child! Were it not for me, you would’ve been stuck on the Isle of the Lost with the rest of the trash! And you dare to think you can defy me?! You’ll regret that!” Purple smoke rose from the ground and surrounded her, clearing moments later to reveal a dragon. Roaring, she made to bite Mal, only to have her target snatched from her in a flurry of black and white.

Carlos smiled and left her behind Maleficent, darting away to join the rest of the group. Mal watched as Carlos and Jay doged while Evie tried more offensive manouvers with her mirror. A tap on her shoulder drew her attention to Audrey. “What are we going to do? I can’t turn into a dragon and fight her! Someone will get hurt!”

“I know. I have another idea. Did your dad bring his sword with him?”

“Yeah, he always brings it to fancy events. Why?”

“I think we can use it against her. As much as I don’t want to hurt her, I’m not sure your magic will be enough. You saw what happened with the wand….”

Mal groaned. “I know…. I don’t really use it, not really allowed in Auradon…. But do we have to kill her?”

Audrey shrugged. “Maybe. She might not stop otherwise.”

“Okay. You get the sword. I’ll guide your throw; something Fairy Godmother taught me a while back.”

“Let’s do this.”

They high-fived and ran off, Audrey to the side to grab the sword and Mal to the front to help the crew. She used the scepter to create a wall of thorns around the three of them, making sure no one else would get hurt, and proudly stood in front of Maleficent despite her roars.

Audrey winced hearing her friends cries of confusion. She knew they wanted to be in there with her but she didn’t want them getting hurt either. Grabbing the sword, which was surprisingly light for its size, she ran around to where Mal stood and brandished the blade. It seemed the dragon recognized it as she backed up, though her roars showed more defiance.

“Ready?”   
  


“Ready.”

“NOW!”

Audrey launched the sword into the air, landing in Maleficent’s heart without any help from Mal. The dragon fell again, just as she had many years before. Audrey knelt beside her, pressing a soft kiss to her snout. “Goodbye, mother,” she whispered.

The wall of thorns came down and the sleeping spell was lifted, resulting in a tight group hug for Audrey and confusion for everyone else in the room. Ben rushed over to them and hugged Evie, checking to make sure she was alright. Audrey watched as Mal’s heart seemed to break all over again, guilt tugging at her stomach. She walked over and gently touched her arm. “Mal…. You should kiss Ben.”

“What? Audrey, I don’t know how things worked on the Isle but-”

“Just do it. Trust me. And…. I’m sorry.”

Mal was about to argue more but Evie was already pushing Ben over and...well, she’d just missed him so much. Without really thinking about it, she reached up and pulled Ben into a kiss, the kind of kiss she’d missed for the past week and could barely stop thinking about. He made a surprised sound but soon relaxed, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled away and cupped her cheek, looking at her with clear eyes for the first time since he ate the cookie. “Mal...what happened?”

“I spelled you,” Evie blurted. “It was my idea, only me I swear. I just...it was always my mother’s dream for me to be a queen and I wasn’t thinking and-”

“E.” Audrey shook her head. “It was all of us. Our parents sent us to destroy Auradon, steal the wand, and let down the barrier. This was just the only method that worked.”

“And we didn’t like it,” Carlos chimed in. “We really didn’t want to hurt you guys but...well, you know who our parents are.” He gestured to the dragon corpse behind them. “They don’t take failure well….”

Ben and Mal shared a look, like they were talking without using words. The new king turned to face all of them. “The four of you saved Auradon today. While your spelling is hardly as appreciated, your heroism today and your apology did make things better. As king, I grant you a pardon for reluctantly conspiring against the crown.”

“So...we’re good?” Jay asked.

Mal chuckled. “Mostly.”

Aurora and Philip approached the group, both very bewildered. “Children...what happened here? What was Maleficent talking about? And why does Audrey have my husband’s sword?”

“Because I was right!” Leah screeched. “It was all right in front of you and you still didn’t see it! I should just-” She was cut off when Fairy Godmother put a mild sleeping spell on her. She approached the group with a stern face. 

“Audrey, Mallory, Maleficent told a strange story but it may be true. Mallory displays a wide range of powers despite no magical heritage and Audrey has none at all despite being the daughter of two powerful beings. I recommend we do a DNA test to confirm this.”

Aurora nodded. “Please do. Anything for answers.”

The rest of them agreed. Knowing is so much easier than wondering.

\---------------------------

Audrey and Mal had DNA samples taken and were sent to wait outside with their families for the results. Aurora and Phillip comforted Mal, assuring her that no matter the result, they loved her. She was their daughter, always.

Audrey sat with her chin in her hands while Evie rubbed her back. “You doing okay? The bluenette asked softly.

“Okay as I can be,” she murmured, focusing on Jay and Carlos as they figured out the vending machine.

“Hey, it doesn’t matter what the test says. It doesn’t change anything about you, no matter what.”

Audrey gave her a small smile and leaned on her, resting her head on her shoulder. “Thanks, E.”

“You’re welcome, Auds.”

Ten minutes and five bags of chips later, the results were ready.

“Audrey’s lineage is…. Queen Aurora and King Phillip. Mal’s lineage is…. Maleficent and Hades.”

Aurora stood and walked over to Audrey. “Audrey…. That’s what we were going to name you. I never knew what made me come up with Mallory,” she said quietly.

Audrey stood and found herself pulled into a tight hug. “You poor thing…. I’m sorry.”

Sorry? “For what? Maleficent did this.”

“She switched you, yes. But she wasn’t the one who neglected to push for fresh food and water, medical supplies,” the Queen murmured, eyes lingering on her scar. “I knew the conditions of the Isle were unfair, especially when we heard about children there. But I did nothing. I’m sorry.”

Mal walked over to join them. “But Ben’s going to make things right. You four can help us. You can tell us what needs fixing and we’ll do it. Together.”

“Heroes and villains working together? That’s a new one,” Jay scoffed. Evie glared at him and joined them.

“We’ll gladly help. We had things pretty bad but...some had it worse. We can help them.”

And so it seemed a brighter day was coming for people on both sides of the bridge.

.

.

.

.

What? You didn’t think that was the end of the story, did you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be the final chapter of this story, but this certainly isn't the end of our heroes journey. More adventures coming soon!


End file.
